WO1997000029A1 - Structures de semelle de chaussure - Google Patents

Structures de semelle de chaussure Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1997000029A1
WO1997000029A1 PCT/US1996/010223 US9610223W WO9700029A1 WO 1997000029 A1 WO1997000029 A1 WO 1997000029A1 US 9610223 W US9610223 W US 9610223W WO 9700029 A1 WO9700029 A1 WO 9700029A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
sole
foot
shoe
shoe sole
wearer
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1996/010223
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Frampton Erroll Ellis, Iii
Original Assignee
Frampton Erroll Ellis, Iii
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Frampton Erroll Ellis, Iii filed Critical Frampton Erroll Ellis, Iii
Priority to AU64773/96A priority Critical patent/AU6477396A/en
Publication of WO1997000029A1 publication Critical patent/WO1997000029A1/fr

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43—FOOTWEAR
    • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
    • A43B13/14—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form
    • A43B13/143—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form provided with wedged, concave or convex end portions, e.g. for improving roll-off of the foot
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43—FOOTWEAR
    • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
    • A43B13/14—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form
    • A43B13/143—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form provided with wedged, concave or convex end portions, e.g. for improving roll-off of the foot
    • A43B13/145—Convex portions, e.g. with a bump or projection, e.g. 'Masai' type shoes

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to the struc- ture of soles of shoes and other footwear, including soles of street shoes, hiking boots, sandals, slippers, and moccasins. More specifically, this invention relates to the structure of athletic shoe soles, including such examples as basketball and running shoes. Still more particularly, this application explicitly includes an alternate definition of the inner surface of the theoretically ideal stability plane as being complementary to the shape of the wearer's foot, instead of conforming to the wearer's foot sole or to a shoe last approximating it either for a specific indi ⁇ vidual; such alternate definition is more like a standard shoe last that approximates the exact shape and size of the individual wearer's foot sole for mass production. This application also includes the broadest possible definition for the inner surface of the contoured shoe sole sides that still defines over the prior art, namely any position between roughly paralleling the wearer's foot sole and roughly paralleling the flat ground.
  • this invention relates to variations in the structure of such shoes having a sole contour which fol ⁇ lows a theoretically ideal stability plane as a basic concept, but which deviates substantially therefrom out ⁇ wardly, to provide greater than natural stability, so that joint motion of the wearer is restricted, especially the ankle joint; or, alternately, which deviates substan ⁇ tially therefrom inwardly, to provide less than natural stability, so that a greater freedom of joint motion is allowed.
  • substantial density variations or bottom sole designs are used instead of, or in combina ⁇ tion with, substantial thickness variations for the same purpose.
  • this invention is the structure of a conventional shoe sole that has been modified by having its sides bent up so that their inner surface conforms to a shape nearly identical but slightly smaller than the shape of the outer surface of the sides of the foot sole of the wearer (instead of the shoe sole sides conforming to the ground by paralleling it, as is conventional) .
  • the shoe sole sides are sufficiently flexible to bend out easily when the shoes are put on the wearer's feet and therefore the shoe soles gently hold the sides of the wearer's foot sole when on, providing the equivalent of custom fit in a mass-produced shoe sole.
  • this invention relates to shoe sole structures that are formed to conform to the all or part of the shape of the wearer's foot sole, whether under a body weight load or unloaded, but without contoured stability sides as defined by the applicant.
  • this invention relates to variations in the structure of such soles using a theoretically ideal stability plane as a basic concept, especially including structures exceeding that plane.
  • this invention relates to contoured shoe sole sides that provide support for sideways tilting of any angular amount from zero degrees to 180 degrees at least for such contoured sides proximate to any one or more or all of the essential stability or propulsion structures of the foot, as defined below and previously.
  • the parent '598 application clarified and expanded the applicant's earlier filed U.S. Application No. 07/680,134, filed April 3, 1991.
  • the applicant has introduced into the art the concept of a theoretically ideal stability plane as a structural basis for shoe sole designs.
  • the theoreti ⁇ cally ideal stability plane was defined by the applicant in previous copending applications as the plane of the surface of the bottom of the shoe sole, wherein the shoe sole conforms to the natural shape of the wearer's foot sole, particularly its sides, and has a constant thick- ness in frontal or transverse plane cross sections.
  • the theoretically ideal stabil ⁇ ity plane is the surface plane of the bottom of the shoe sole that parallels the surface of the wearer's foot sole in transverse or frontal plane cross sections.
  • the theoretically ideal stability plane concept as implemented into shoes such as street shoes and ath ⁇ letic shoes is presented in U.S. Patent Numbers 4,989,349, issued February 5, 1991 and 5,317,819, issued June 7, 1994, both of which are incorporated by refer- ence; and pending U. S. application Nos.
  • This new invention is a modification of the inventions disclosed and claimed in the earlier applica- tions and develops the application of the concept of the theoretically ideal stability plane to other shoe struc ⁇ tures.
  • Each of the applicant's applications is built directly on its predecessors and therefore all possible combinations of inventions or their component elements with other inventions or elements in prior and subsequent applications have always been specifically intended by the applicant.
  • the applicant's applications are generic at such a fundamental level that it is not possible as a practical matter to describe every embodiment combination that offers substantial improvement over the existing art, as the length of this description of only some combinations will testify.
  • the underlying cause of the universal instabil ⁇ ity of shoes is a critical but correctable design flaw. That hidden flaw, so deeply ingrained in existing shoe designs, is so extraordinarily fundamental that it has remained unnoticed until now.
  • the flaw is revealed by a novel new biomechanical test, one that is unprecedented in its simplicity. It is easy enough to be duplicated and verified by anyone; it only takes a few minutes and requires no scientific equipment or expertise.
  • the sim- plicity of the test belies its surprisingly convincing results. It demonstrates an obvious difference in sta ⁇ bility between a bare foot and a running shoe, a differ ⁇ ence so unexpectedly huge that it makes an apparently subjective test clearly objective instead. The test proves beyond doubt that all existing shoes are unsafely unstable.
  • the '478 invention relates to variations in the structure of such shoes having a sole contour which fol ⁇ lows a theoretically ideal stability plane as a basic concept, but which deviates therefrom outwardly, to pro ⁇ vide greater than natural stability. Still more particu ⁇ larly, this invention relates to the use of structures approximating, but increasing beyond, a theoretically ideal stability plane to provide greater than natural stability for an individual whose natural foot and ankle biomechanical functioning have been degraded by a life ⁇ time use of flawed existing shoes.
  • the '478 invention is a modification of the inventions disclosed and claimed in the earlier applica ⁇ tion and develops the application of the concept of the theoretically ideal stability plane to other shoe struc- tures.
  • the '302 invention relates to a shoe having an anthropomorphic sole that copies the underlying support, stability and cushioning structures of the human foot.
  • Natural stability is provided by attaching a completely flexible but relatively inelastic shoe sole upper directly to the bottom sole, enveloping the sides of the midsole, instead of attaching it to the top surface of the shoe sole. Doing so puts the flexible side of the shoe upper under tension in reaction to destabilizing sideways forces on the shoe causing it to tilt. That tension force is balanced and in equilibrium because the bottom sole is firmly anchored by body weight, so the destabilizing sideways motion is neutralized by the ten ⁇ sion in the flexible sides of the shoe upper.
  • this invention relates to support and cush ⁇ ioning which is provided by shoe sole compartments filled with a pressure-transmitting medium like liquid, gas, or gel.
  • a pressure-transmitting medium like liquid, gas, or gel.
  • direct physical contact occurs between the upper surface and the lower surface of the compartments, providing firm, stable sup ⁇ port.
  • Cushioning is provided by the transmitting medium progressively causing tension in the flexible and semi- elastic sides of the shoe sole.
  • the compartments provid ⁇ ing support and cushioning are similar in structure to the fat pads of the foot, which simultaneously provide both firm support and progressive cushioning.
  • PCT/US89/03076 filed on July 14, 1989.
  • the purpose of the inventions disclosed in these applications was primarily to provide a neutral design that allows for natural foot and ankle biomechanics as close as possible to that between the foot and the ground, and to avoid the serious interfer ⁇ ence with natural foot and ankle biomechanics inherent in existing shoes.
  • the barefoot provides sta ⁇ bility at it sides by putting those sides, which are flexible and relatively inelastic, under extreme tension caused by the pressure of the compressed fat pads; they thereby become temporarily rigid when outside forces make that rigidity appropriate, producing none of the desta ⁇ bilizing lever arm torque problems of the permanently rigid sides of existing designs.
  • the applicant's '302 invention simply attempts, as closely as possible, to replicate the naturally effec ⁇ tive structures of the foot that provide stability, sup ⁇ port, and cushioning.
  • This new application explicitly includes an upper shoe sole surface that is complementary to the shape of all or a portion the wearer's foot sole; ⁇ con ⁇ forming" to that foot sole shape remains the best mode, since it gives to one skilled in the art the most exact direction or goal, so that one skilled in the art can use whatever means are available to achieve the closest con ⁇ formance possible, much as the art is used to achieve an accurate fit for a wearer.
  • this application describes shoe contoured sole side designs wherein the inner surface of the theoretically ideal stability plane lies at some point between conforming or complementary to the shape of the wearer's foot sole, that is — roughly paralleling the foot sole including its side — and par ⁇ alleling the flat ground; that inner surface of the theo ⁇ retically ideal stability plane becomes load-bearing in contact with the foot sole during foot inversion and eversion, which is normal sideways or lateral motion.
  • the basis of this design was introduced in the applicant's '302 application relative to Fig. 9 of that application.
  • this application describes shoe sole side designs wherein the lower surface of the theo- retically ideal stability plane, which equates to the load-bearing surface of the bottom or outer shoe sole, of the shoe sole side portions is above the plane of the underneath portion of the shoe sole, when measured in frontal or transverse plane cross sections; that lower surface of the theoretically ideal stability plane becomes load-bearing in contact with the ground during foot inversion and eversion, which is normal sideways or lateral motion.
  • the appli ⁇ cant's earlier invention disclosed in his '714 applica ⁇ tion is the structure of a conventional shoe sole that has been modified by having its sides bent up so that their inner surface conforms to a shape nearly identical but slightly smaller than the shape of the outer surface of the foot sole of the wearer (instead of the shoe sole sides being flat on the ground, as is conventional) .
  • This concept is like that described in Fig. 3 of the applicant's 07/239,667 application; for the applicant's fully contoured design described in Fig.
  • the entire shoe sole including both the sides and the portion directly underneath the foot — is bent up to conform to a shape nearly identical but slightly smaller than the contoured shape of the unloaded foot sole of the wearer, rather than the partially flat- tened load-bearing foot sole shown in Fig. 3.
  • the total shoe sole thickness of the contoured side por ⁇ tions is much less than the total thickness of the sole portion directly underneath the foot
  • the shoe sole thickness of the contoured side portions are the same as the thickness of the sole portion directly underneath the foot, meaning uniform thickness as measured in frontal or transverse plane cross sections, or at least similar to the thick ⁇ ness of the sole portion directly underneath the foot, meaning a thickness variation of up to 25 percent, as measured in frontal or transverse plane cross sections.
  • the shoe sole thickness variation of the applicant's shoe soles is increased in this appli ⁇ cation from 26 to 50 percent, and from 51 percent to 100 percent in some extreme cases, generally in the forefoot, as measured in frontal or transverse plane cross sec ⁇ tions.
  • This application similarly increases construc ⁇ tive density variations, as most typically measured in durometers on a Shore A scale, to include 26 percent up to 50 percent and from 51 percent to 200 percent.
  • the same variations in shoe bottom sole design can provide similar effects to the variation in shoe sole density described above.
  • any of the above described thick- ness variations from a theoretically ideal stability plane can be used together with any of the above described density or bottom sole design variations. All portions of the shoe sole are included in thickness and density measurement, including the sockliner or insole, the midsole (including heel lift or other thickness vari ⁇ ation measured in the sagittal plane) and bottom or outer sole.
  • the thickness and density varia ⁇ tions described above can be measured from the center of the es ⁇ ential ⁇ tructural support and propulsion elements defined in the '819 Patent.
  • Tho ⁇ e element ⁇ are the base and lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus, the heads of the metatarsal ⁇ , and the ba ⁇ e of the fifth metatar ⁇ al, and the head of the fir ⁇ t di ⁇ tal phalange, re ⁇ pectively.
  • the metatarsal heads only the first and fifth metatarsal head ⁇ are u ⁇ ed for ⁇ uch mea ⁇ urement, since only those two are located on lateral portions of the foot and thus proximate to contoured ⁇ tability sides of the applicant's shoe sole.
  • the applicant' ⁇ ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole inven ⁇ tion maintains the natural stability and natural, unin ⁇ terrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare through- out it ⁇ normal range of ⁇ ideway ⁇ pronation and supination motion occurring during all load-bearing phases of loco ⁇ motion of the wearer, including when the wearer is stand ⁇ ing, walking, jogging and running, even when the foot i ⁇ tilted to the extreme limit of that normal range, in con- trast to unstable and inflexible conventional shoe sole ⁇ , including the partially contoured exi ⁇ ting art de ⁇ cribed above.
  • the ⁇ ide ⁇ of the applicant' ⁇ ⁇ hoe sole invention extend sufficiently far up the sides of the wearer's foot sole to maintain the natural stability and uninterrupted motion of the wearer, foot when bare.
  • the exact thick ⁇ ness and material density of the shoe sole side ⁇ and their ⁇ pecific contour will be determined empirically for individuals and groups using ⁇ tandard biomechanical tech ⁇ niques of gait analysi ⁇ to determine those combinations that best provide the barefoot ⁇ tability de ⁇ cribed above.
  • the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole ⁇ ide ⁇ are made of mate ⁇ rial ⁇ ufficiently flexible to bend out ea ⁇ ily when the shoes are put on the wearer's feet and therefore the shoe soles gently hold the sides of the wearer's foot sole when on, providing the equivalent of custom fit in a mass-produced shoe sole.
  • the applicant's preferred ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole embodiments include the structural and material flexibility to deform in parallel to the natural deformation of the wearer's foot sole as if it were bare and unaffected by any of the abnormal foot biomechanics created by rigid conventional shoe sole.
  • the applicant's preferred shoe sole embodiments are sufficiently firm to provide the wearer's foot with the structural support neces ⁇ ary to maintain normal pronation and supination, as if the wearer's foot were bare; in contrast, the excessive soft ⁇ ness of many of the shoe sole materials u ⁇ ed in shoe soles in the existing art cause instability in the form of abnormally exces ⁇ ive foot pronation and supination.
  • a shoe according to the '714 invention comprises a sole having at least a portion thereof following the contour of a theoretically ideal stability plane, and which fur ⁇ ther includes rounded edges at the finishing edge of the sole after the last point where the constant shoe sole thicknes ⁇ i ⁇ maintained. Thu ⁇ , the upper surface of the sole does not provide an unsupported portion that creates a destabilizing torque and the bottom surface does not provide an unnatural pivoting edge.
  • the shoe in another aspect in the '714 application, includes a naturally contoured sole structure exhi- biting natural deformation which closely parallels the natural deformation of a foot under the same load.
  • the naturally contoured side por ⁇ tion of the ⁇ ole extend ⁇ to contours underneath the load- bearing foot.
  • the sole portion is abbreviated along its ⁇ ides to e ⁇ ential ⁇ upport and propul ⁇ ion elements wherein those elements are combined and integrated into the same di ⁇ continuous shoe sole structural elements underneath the foot, which approxi- mate the principal structural elements of a human foot and their natural articulation between elements.
  • the density of the abbreviated shoe sole can be greater than the density of the material used in an unabbreviated shoe sole to compensate for increased pres ⁇ ure loading.
  • the essential support elements include the base and lateral tubero ⁇ ity of the calcaneu ⁇ , heads of the metatarsal, and the base of the fifth metatarsal.
  • the '714 application shoe sole is naturally contoured, paralleling the ⁇ hape of the foot in order to parallel it ⁇ natural deformation, and made from a mate ⁇ rial which, when under load and tilting to the ⁇ ide, deform ⁇ in a manner which clo ⁇ ely parallel ⁇ that of the foot of it ⁇ wearer, while retaining nearly the ⁇ ame amount of contact of the shoe sole with the ground as in its upright state under load.
  • a deformable shoe sole according to the invention may have its sides bent inwardly somewhat so that when worn the sides bend out easily to approximate a custom fit.
  • a shoe according to the '478 invention comprises a sole having at lea ⁇ t a portion thereof following approximately the contour of a theoretically ideal ⁇ tability plane, preferably applied to a naturally contoured ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole approximating the contour of a human foot.
  • the shoe sole thickness of the contoured side portions are at least similar to the thickne ⁇ of the sole portion directly underneath the foot, meaning either a thicknes ⁇ variation from 5 to 10 percent or from 11 to 25 percent, a ⁇ measured in frontal or transverse plane cros ⁇ ⁇ ections.
  • the shoe in another aspect of the '478 invention, includes a naturally contoured sole structure exhi- biting natural deformation which closely parallels the natural deformation of a foot under the ⁇ ame load, and having a contour which approximate ⁇ , but increa ⁇ e ⁇ beyond the theoretically ideal ⁇ tability plane.
  • ⁇ hoe sole thicknes ⁇ i ⁇ increased beyond the theoretically ideal stability plane, greater than natural stability results; when thickness is decreased, greater than natu ⁇ ral motion result ⁇ .
  • ⁇ uch variations are consistent through all frontal plane cross section ⁇ so that there are proportionally equal increases to the theoretically ideal stability plane from front to back.
  • a 25 percent thicknes ⁇ increase in the lateral stability sides of the forefoot of the shoe sole would also have a 25 percent increase ⁇ in lateral ⁇ tability ⁇ ides proximate to the base of the fifth metatarsal of a wearer's foot and a 25 increase in the lateral stability sides of the heel of the shoe sole.
  • the thickness may increase, then decrease at respective adjacent loca ⁇ tions, or vary in other thickness sequences.
  • the thick ⁇ ness variations may be symmetrical on both side ⁇ , or a ⁇ ymmetrical, particularly ⁇ ince it may be de ⁇ irable to provide greater ⁇ tability for the medial ⁇ ide than the lateral side to compensate for common pronation problems.
  • the variation pattern of the right shoe can vary from that of the left shoe. Variation in shoe sole density or bottom sole tread can al ⁇ o provide reduced but ⁇ imilar effect ⁇ .
  • Thi ⁇ invention relates to shoe sole ⁇ tructure ⁇ that are formed to conform to the all or part of the ⁇ hape of the wearer' ⁇ foot ⁇ ole, either under a body weight load (defined as one body weight or alternately as any body weight force) , but without contoured stability ⁇ ide ⁇ as defined by the applicant.
  • a body weight load defined as one body weight or alternately as any body weight force
  • this invention relates to variations in the structure of such soles using a theoretically ideal stability plane a ⁇ a basic concept, especially including structures exceeding that plane.
  • this invention relates to contoured shoe ⁇ ole ⁇ ides that provide support for sideway ⁇ tilting of any angular amount from zero degree ⁇ to 150 degrees at lea ⁇ t for such contoured sides proximate to any one or more or all of the essential stability or propulsion structures of the foot, as defined below and previously.
  • the ⁇ e and other feature ⁇ of the invention will become apparent from the detailed de ⁇ cription of the invention which follow ⁇ .
  • Figs. 1 through 9 are from prior copending applications of the applicant, with some new textual specification added.
  • Figs. 1-3 are from the '714 appli ⁇ cation;
  • Fig ⁇ . 4-8 are from the '478 application; and
  • Fig ⁇ . IA to IC [8] illu ⁇ trate functionally the principles of natural deformation as applied to the shoe soles of the '667 and '714 invention.
  • Fig. 2 shows variations in the relative density of the shoe ⁇ ole including the ⁇ hoe in ⁇ ole to maximize an ability of the sole to deform naturally.
  • Fig. 3 shows a shoe having naturally contoured sides bent inwardly somewhat from a normal size so then when worn the ⁇ hoe approximates a custom fit.
  • Fig. 4 show ⁇ a frontal plane cross section at the heel portion of a shoe with naturally contoured side ⁇ like tho ⁇ e of Fig. 24, wherein a portion of the shoe sole thicknes ⁇ i ⁇ increased beyond the theoretically ideal stability plane.
  • Fig. 5 is a view ⁇ imilar to Fig. 4, but of a shoe with fully contoured sides wherein the sole thick- ness increases with increasing di ⁇ tance from the center line of the ground-engaging portion of the sole.
  • Fig. 6 is a view ⁇ imilar to Fig ⁇ . 29 and 30 showing still another density variation, one which is asymmetrical.
  • Fig. 7 show ⁇ an embodiment like Fig. 25 but wherein a portion of the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole thickne ⁇ s is decreased to le ⁇ than the theoretically ideal ⁇ tability plane.
  • Fig. 8 shows a bottom sole tread design that provides a similar density variation as that in Fig. 6.
  • Fig. 9 is the applicant's new ⁇ hoe sole design in a sequential series of frontal plane cros ⁇ sections of the heel at the ankle joint area that correspond ⁇ exactly to the Fig. 42 ⁇ eries below.
  • Fig. 10 is the applicant's custom fit design utilizing downsized flexible contoured ⁇ hoe sole sides in combination with a thickness greater than the theoreti- cally ideal stability plane.
  • Fig. 11 i ⁇ the ⁇ ame custom fit de ⁇ ign in combi ⁇ nation with ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole ⁇ ide portion ⁇ having a material with greater den ⁇ ity than the sole portion.
  • Figs. 12-23 are from the '714 application.
  • Fig. 12 is a rear view of a heel of a foot for explaining the use of a stationery sprain simulation test.
  • Fig. 13 is a rear view of a conventional run ⁇ ning shoe unstably rotating about an edge of its sole when the shoe sole is tilted to the outside.
  • Fig. 14 is a diagram of the forces on a foot when rotating in a shoe of the type shown in Fig. 2.
  • Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing further continued rotation of a foot in a shoe of the type shown in Fig. 2.
  • Fig. 16 is a force diagram during rotation of a shoe having motion control devices and heel counters.
  • Fig. 18 shows an approach for minimizing desta ⁇ bilizing torque by providing only direct ⁇ tructural sup ⁇ port and by rounding edges of the ⁇ ole and its outer and inner surfaces.
  • Fig. 19 shows a shoe sole having a fully con ⁇ toured design but having side ⁇ which are abbreviated to the e ⁇ sential structural stability and propul ⁇ ion ele- ment ⁇ that are combined and integrated into discontinuous structural elements underneath the foot that simulate those of the foot.
  • Fig. 20 is a diagram serving as a basi ⁇ for an expanded di ⁇ cu ⁇ ion of a correct approach for measuring shoe sole thickness.
  • Fig. 21 show ⁇ ⁇ everal embodiment ⁇ wherein the bottom ⁇ ole include ⁇ mo ⁇ t or all of the ⁇ pecial contours of the new designs and retains a flat upper surface.
  • Fig. 23 shows, in Figs. 23A - 23C, the enhance ⁇ ment of Fig. 39 applied to the naturally contoured sides embodiment of the invention.
  • Figs. 24-34 are from the '478 application.
  • Fig. 24 hows, in frontal plane cros ⁇ section at the heel portion of a shoe, the applicant's prior invention of a shoe sole with naturally contoured sides based on a theoretically ideal stability plane.
  • Fig. 25 show ⁇ , again in frontal plane cross section, the most general case of the applicant's prior invention, a fully contoured shoe sole that follows the natural contour of the bottom of the foot a ⁇ well a ⁇ its side ⁇ , also based on the theoretically ideal ⁇ tability plane.
  • Fig. 28 i ⁇ a view ⁇ imilar to Fig ⁇ . 4 ,5 & 27 wherein the ⁇ ole thickne ⁇ e ⁇ vary in diver ⁇ e ⁇ equence ⁇ .
  • Fig. 29 i ⁇ a frontal plane cross section show- ing a density variation in the midsole.
  • Fig. 30 is a view ⁇ imilar to Fig. 29 wherein the firmest density material is at the outermost edge of the midsole contour.
  • Fig. 31 shows a variation in the thicknes ⁇ of the ⁇ ole for the quadrant embodiment which i ⁇ greater than a theoretically ideal stability plane.
  • Fig. 32 shows a quadrant embodiment as in Fig. 31 wherein the density of the sole varies.
  • Fig. 33 show ⁇ embodiments like Figs. 24 through 26 but wherein a portion of the shoe ⁇ ole thickness is decreased to les ⁇ than the theoretically ideal stability plane.
  • Fig. 34 show embodiment ⁇ with side ⁇ both greater and le ⁇ er than the theoretically ideal stability plane.
  • Figs. 35-44 are from the '302 application.
  • Fig. 35 is a perspective view of a typical athletic shoe for running known to the prior art to which the invention is applicable.
  • Fig. 36 illustrate ⁇ in a clo ⁇ e-up frontal plane cross section of the heel at the ankle joint the typical shoe of existing art, undeformed by body weight, when tilted sideway ⁇ on the bottom edge.
  • Fig. 37 shows, in the same close-up cross sec ⁇ tion as Fig. 2, the applicant' ⁇ prior invention of a naturally contoured shoe sole design, also tilted out.
  • Fig. 38 shows a rear view of a barefoot heel tilted laterally 20 degrees.
  • Fig. 39 show ⁇ , in a frontal plane cross section at the ankle joint area of the heel, the applicant' ⁇ new invention of ten ⁇ ion ⁇ tabilized ⁇ ide ⁇ applied to hi ⁇ prior naturally contoured shoe ⁇ ole.
  • Fig. 40 ⁇ how ⁇ , in a frontal plane cro ⁇ section close-up, the Fig. 5 de ⁇ ign when tilted to it ⁇ edge, but undeformed by load.
  • Fig. 41 shows, in frontal plane cros ⁇ section at the ankle joint area of the heel, the Fig. 5 design when tilted to its edge and naturally deformed by body weight, though constant shoe sole thicknes ⁇ i ⁇ maintained undeformed.
  • Fig. 42 is a sequential memori ⁇ of frontal plane cross sections of the barefoot heel at the ankle joint area.
  • Fig. 8A is unloaded and upright;
  • Fig. 8B is moder ⁇ ately loaded by full body weight and upright;
  • Fig. 8C is heavily loaded at peak landing force while running and upright; and
  • Fig. 8D is heavily loaded and tilted out laterally to its about 20 degree maximum.
  • Fig. 43 is the applicant's new ⁇ hoe sole de ⁇ ign in a sequential memori ⁇ of frontal plane cro ⁇ sections of the heel at the ankle joint area that correspond ⁇ exactly to the Fig. 8 ⁇ eries above.
  • Fig. 44 is two perspective views and a close-up view of the structure of fibrous connective tissue of the groups of fat cells of the human heel.
  • Fig. 10A show ⁇ a quartered section of the calcaneus and the fat pad cham ⁇ bers below it;
  • Fig. 10B show ⁇ a horizontal plane clo ⁇ e-up of the inner ⁇ tructure ⁇ of an individual chamber;
  • Fig. 10D ⁇ hows a horizontal section of the whorl arrange ⁇ ment of fat pad undemeath the calcaneus.
  • Figs. 45 - 58 are new to this continuation-in- part application.
  • Fig. 45 is similar to Fig. 4, but show ⁇ more extreme thickne ⁇ s increase variations.
  • Fig. 46 is similar to Fig. 5, but show ⁇ more extreme thickne ⁇ increa ⁇ e variation ⁇ .
  • Fig. 48 is similar to Fig. 7, but shows more extreme thicknes ⁇ decrea ⁇ e variation ⁇ .
  • Fig. 49 i ⁇ ⁇ imilar to Fig. 8, but ⁇ hows more extreme bottom ⁇ ole tread pattern variation ⁇ .
  • Fig. 50 is similar to Fig. 10, but shows more extreme thicknes ⁇ increase variations
  • Fig. 51 is similar to Fig. ll, but show ⁇ more extreme den ⁇ ity variations.
  • Fig. 52 is similar to Fig. IA, but shows on the right side an upper shoe sole surface of the contoured side that is complementary to the shape of the wearer's foot sole; on the left side Fig. 52 show ⁇ an upper ⁇ ur ⁇ face between complementary and parallel to the flat ground and a lower surface of the contoured shoe sole side that is not in contact with the ground.
  • Fig. 53 is like Fig. 27 of the '819 Patent, but with angular measurement ⁇ of the contoured ⁇ hoe sole sides indicated from zero degrees to 180 degrees.
  • Fig. 54 is similar to Fig. 19 of the '819 Pat ⁇ ent, but without contoured stability sides.
  • Figs. 55-56 are similar to Figs. 20-21 of the
  • Fig. 58 is based on Fig. IB but also show ⁇ , for purpo ⁇ e ⁇ of illu ⁇ tration, on the right side a relative thickness increase of the contoured shoe sole ⁇ ide for that portion of the contoured shoe sole side beyond the limit of the full range of normal sideways foot inversion and eversion motion, and on the left side, a ⁇ imilar relative density increase.
  • Figs. 1A-C illustrate, in frontal or tran ⁇ ver ⁇ e plane cro ⁇ s sections in the heel area, the applicant's concept of the theoretically ideal stability plane applied to shoe sole ⁇ .
  • Fig ⁇ . 1A-1C illu ⁇ trate clearly the principle of natural deformation as it applies to the applicant's design, even though design diagrams like those preceding (and in his previous applications already referenced) are normally ⁇ hown in an ideal ⁇ tate, without any functional deformation, obviou ⁇ ly to ⁇ how their exact shape for proper construction. That natural structural shape, with its contour paralleling the foot, enables the shoe sole to deform naturally like the foot. In the applicant's invention, the natural deformation feature creates such an important functional advantage it will be illustrated and discussed here fully. Note in the figures that even when the shoe sole shape is deformed, the constant ⁇ hoe sole thickness in the frontal plane feature of the inven- tion is maintained.
  • Fig. IA is Fig. 8A in the applicant's U.S. Patent Application No.07/400,714 and Fig. 15 in his 07/239,667 Application.
  • Fig. IA shows a fully contoured shoe sole design that follows the natural contour of all of the foot sole, the bottom as well a ⁇ the sides.
  • the fully contoured shoe sole assumes that the resulting slightly rounded bottom when unloaded will deform under load a ⁇ ⁇ hown in Fig. IB and flatten ju ⁇ t as the human foot bottom i ⁇ slightly round unloaded but flattens under load. Therefore, the shoe sole material must be of such composition as to allow the natural deformation following that of the foot.
  • Fig. IA would deform by flattening to look e ⁇ entially like Fig. IB.
  • Fig ⁇ . IA and IB show in frontal plane cross section the essential concept underlying this invention, the theoretically ideal stability plane which is also theoretically ideal for efficient natural motion of all kinds, including running, jogging or walking.
  • the theoretically ideal stability plane 51 is determined, first, by the de ⁇ ired ⁇ hoe sole thick- ness ( ⁇ ) in a frontal plane cro ⁇ s section, and, ⁇ econd, by the natural shape of the individual's foot ⁇ urface 29.
  • the theoreti ⁇ cally ideal ⁇ tability plane for any particular individual (or ⁇ ize average of individual ⁇ ) i ⁇ determined, first, by the given frontal plane cros ⁇ ⁇ ection ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole thickne ⁇ ( ⁇ ) ; ⁇ econd, by the natural ⁇ hape of the individual' ⁇ foot; and, third, by the frontal plane cross section width of the individual' ⁇ load-bearing footprint which i ⁇ defined a ⁇ the ⁇ upper surface of the shoe sole that is in physical contact with and support ⁇ the human foot sole.
  • Fig. IB is Fig. 8B of the '714 application and show ⁇ the same fully contoured design when upright, under normal load (body weight) and therefore deformed natu ⁇ rally in a manner very closely paralleling the natural deformation under the same load of the foot.
  • An almo ⁇ t identical portion of the foot sole that is flattened in deformation is al ⁇ o flatten in deformation in the shoe sole.
  • Fig. IC is Fig. 8C of the '714 application and shows the same design when tilted outward 20 degrees laterally, the normal barefoot limit; with virtually equal accuracy it shows the opposite foot tilted 20 degrees inward, in fairly severe pronation.
  • Fig. IC also represents with reasonable accu ⁇ racy a shoe sole design corresponding to Fig. IB, a natu- rally contoured shoe sole with a conventional built-in flattening deformation, as in Fig. 14 of the above refer ⁇ enced September 2, 1988, Application, except that design would have a slight crimp at 145.
  • the naturally contoured side design in Fig. IB is a more conventional, conservative design that is a special case of the more generally fully contoured de ⁇ ign in Fig. IA, which is the closest to the natural form of the foot, but the least conventional.
  • the appli ⁇ cant's Fig 1 invention is the ⁇ tructure of a conventional ⁇ hoe sole that has been modified by having it ⁇ ⁇ ide ⁇ bent up so that their inner surface conforms to the shape of the outer surface of the foot sole of the wearer (instead of the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole sides being flat on the ground, as is conventional) ; this concept is like that described in Fig. 3 of the applicant's 07/239,667 application.
  • the entire shoe sole including both the sides and the portion directly underneath the foot — is bent up to conform to the shape of the unloaded foot sole of the wearer, rather than the partially flattened load-bearing foot sole shown in Fig. 3.
  • the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole thickness of the contoured side portions is much less than the thickness of the sole portion directly underneath the foot, wherea ⁇ in the applicant's ⁇ hoe sole inventions in the '819 Patent the shoe sole thickne ⁇ of the contoured side portions are the ⁇ ame as the thickness of the sole portion directly underneath the foot.
  • the applicant's ⁇ hoe sole inven ⁇ tion maintains the natural stability and natural, unin ⁇ terrupted motion of the wearer' ⁇ foot when bare through ⁇ out it ⁇ normal range of ⁇ ideways pronation and supination motion occurring during all load-bearing phase ⁇ of loco ⁇ motion of the wearer, including when said wearer is standing, walking, jogging and running, even when ⁇ aid foot i ⁇ tilted to the extreme limit of that normal range, in contra ⁇ t to un ⁇ table and inflexible conventional ⁇ hoe soles, including the partially contoured existing art described above.
  • the sides of the applicant's shoe sole invention extend sufficiently far up the sides of the wearer's foot sole to maintain that natural stability and uninterrupted motion.
  • the amount of any shoe sole side portions coplanar with the theo ⁇ retically ideal stability plane is determined by the degree of shoe sole stability desired and the shoe ⁇ ole weight and bulk required to provide said stability; the amount of said coplanar contoured sides that is provided said shoe sole being ⁇ ufficient to maintain intact the firm ⁇ tability of the wearer's foot throughout the range of foot inversion and eversion motion typical of the use for which the shoe is intended and also typical of the kind of wearer — such as normal or excessive pronator — for which said shoe is intended.
  • Fig. IA is Fig. 15 in the applicant's 07/239,667 Application; however, it does not show the heel lift 38 which is included in the original Fig. 15.
  • That heel lift is shown with constant frontal or transverse plane thicknes ⁇ , since it is oriented con ⁇ ventionally in alignment with the frontal or transverse plane and perpendicular to the long axis of the shoe sole; consequently, the thicknes ⁇ of the heel lift decreases uniformly in the frontal or transverse plane between the heel and the forefoot when moving forward along the long axis of the shoe sole.
  • the con- ventional heel wedge, or toe taper or other shoe sole thicknes ⁇ variations in the sagittal plane along the long axis of the shoe sole can be located at an angle to the conventional alignment.
  • the heel wedge can be rotated inward in the horizontal plane ⁇ o that it is located perpendicular to the subtalar axis, which is located in the heel area generally about 20 to 25 degrees medially, although a different angle can be used base on individual or group testing; such a orientation may provide better, more natural support to the subtalar joint, through which critical pronation and supination motion occur.
  • the applicant's theoretically ideal stability plane concept would teach that such a heel wedge orientation would require constant shoe sole thickness in a vertical plane perpendicular to the chosen subtalar joint axis, instead of the frontal plane.
  • Fig. 2 i ⁇ Fig. 9 of the '714 application shows, in frontal or transver ⁇ e plane cross section in the heel area, the preferred relative density of the shoe sole, including the insole a ⁇ a part, order to maximize the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole's ability to deform naturally following the natural deformation of the foot sole.
  • the ⁇ ofte ⁇ t and mo ⁇ t flexible material 147 ⁇ hould be clo ⁇ est to the foot sole, with a progression through les ⁇ ⁇ oft 148 to the firme ⁇ t and least flexible 149 at the outermost shoe sole layer, the bottom sole.
  • Fig. 3 which is a frontal or transverse plane cro ⁇ s section at the heel, is Fig. 10 from the appli ⁇ cant's copending U. S. Patent Application No. 07/400,714, filed August 30, 1989.
  • Fig. 3 illustrates that the applicant's naturally contoured ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole ⁇ ide ⁇ can be made to provide a fit so close as to approximate a custom fit.
  • the shoe sole ⁇ so produced will very gently hold the side ⁇ of each individual foot exactly. Since the shoe sole i ⁇ designed as described in connection with
  • Fig. 2 (Fig. 9 of the applicant's copending application No. 07/400,714) to deform easily and naturally like that of the bare foot, it will deform easily to provide this de ⁇ igned-in custom fit.
  • This approach applies to the fully contoured design described here in Fig. IA (Fig. 8A of the '714 application) and in Fig. 15, United States Patent Appli ⁇ cation 07/239,667 (filed 02 September 1988), as well, which would be even more effective than the naturally contoured sides design shown in Fig. 3.
  • the under ⁇ ized flexible ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole sides allow the applicant's shoe sole invention ⁇ ba ⁇ ed on the theoretically ideal stability plane to be manufactured in relatively standard sizes in the same manner as are shoe uppers, since the flexible shoe sole sides can be built on standard shoe last ⁇ , even though conceptually tho ⁇ e ⁇ ide ⁇ conform closely to the specific ⁇ hape of the indi- vidual wearer's foot sole, because the flexible sides bend to conform when on the wearer's foot ⁇ ole.
  • Fig. 3 shows the shoe sole structure when not on the foot of the wearer;
  • the dashed line 29 indicates the position of the shoe last, which is a ⁇ umed to be a rea ⁇ onably accurate approximation of the ⁇ hape of the outer surface of the wearer's foot sole, which determines the shape of the theoretically ideal ⁇ tability plane 51.
  • the dashed line ⁇ 29 and 51 show what the positions of the inner surface 30 and outer surface 31 of the shoe sole would be when the shoe is put on the foot of the wearer. Numbering with the figures in this application is consistent with the numbering used in prior applica- tions of the applicant.
  • the Fig. 3 invention provides a way make the inner surface 30 of the contoured shoe sole, especially its sides, conform very closely to the outer surface 29 of the foot sole of a wearer. It thu ⁇ ake ⁇ much more practical the applicant' ⁇ earlier underlying naturally contoured de ⁇ ign ⁇ ⁇ hown in Figs. 1A-C.
  • the appli ⁇ cant' ⁇ invention i ⁇ the ⁇ tructure of a conventional shoe sole that has been modified by having its sides bent up so that their inner surface conforms to a shape nearly identical but slightly smaller than the shape of the outer surface of the foot sole of the wearer (instead of the shoe sole side ⁇ being flat on the ground, a ⁇ is con ⁇ ventional) ; this concept is like that described in Fig. 3 of the applicant's 07/239,667 application.
  • Fig. 3 of the applicant's 07/239,667 application.
  • the ⁇ hoe sole thicknes ⁇ of the contoured ⁇ ide portions is much less than the thicknes ⁇ of the ⁇ ole portion directly underneath the foot, wherea ⁇ in the applicant' ⁇ shoe sole inventions the ⁇ hoe sole thickne ⁇ s of the contoured side portions are the same as the thickness of the sole por ⁇ tion directly underneath the foot.
  • the side ⁇ of the applicant's shoe sole inven ⁇ tion extend sufficiently far up the sides of the wearer's foot sole to maintain the lateral stability of the wearer's foot when bare.
  • the applicant's shoe sole inven ⁇ tion maintains the natural ⁇ tability and natural, unin ⁇ terrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare through ⁇ out its normal range of sideways pronation and supination motion occurring during all load-bearing phases of loco- motion of the wearer, including when the wearer is stand ⁇ ing, walking, jogging and running, even when said foot is tilted to the extreme limit of that normal range, in con ⁇ trast to unstable and inflexible conventional ⁇ hoe soles, including the partially contoured existing art described above.
  • the ⁇ ide ⁇ of the applicant' ⁇ shoe sole invention extend ⁇ ufficiently far up the ⁇ ide ⁇ of the wearer's foot sole to maintain the natural stability and uninterrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare.
  • the shoe sole sides of the Fig. 3 invention are sufficiently flexible to bend out easily when the shoes are put on the wearer's feet and therefore the shoe soles gently hold the sides of the wearer's foot sole when on, providing the equivalent of custom fit in a mass-produced shoe sole.
  • the applicant's preferred shoe sole embodiments include the structural and material flexibility to deform in parallel to the natural deforma ⁇ tion of the wearer's foot sole as if it were bare and unaffected by any of the abnormal foot biomechanics cre ⁇ ated by rigid conventional shoe sole.
  • the applicant's preferred shoe ⁇ ole embodiments are sufficiently firm to provide the wearer's foot with the structural ⁇ upport necessary to maintain normal pronation and supination, as if the wearer's foot were bare; in contrast, the excessive soft ⁇ ness of many of the shoe sole materials used in shoe soles in the existing art cause abnormal foot pronation and supination.
  • Fig. 3 is a frontal or transver ⁇ e plane cross section at the heel, so the structure is shown at one of the es ⁇ ential ⁇ tructural support and propulsion elements, as specified by applicant in his copending 07/239,667 application in its Fig. 21 specification.
  • the essential structural support elements are the base and lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus 95, the heads of the metatar- ⁇ al ⁇ 96, and the base of the fifth metatarsal 97; the e ⁇ ential propulsion element is the head of the first distal phalange 98.
  • the Fig. 3 shoe sole structure can be abbreviated along its side ⁇ to only the e ⁇ ential structural support and propulsion elements, like Fig. 21 of the '667 application.
  • the Fig. 3 design can also be abbreviated underneath the shoe sole to the same es ⁇ en ⁇ tial ⁇ tructural ⁇ upport and propulsion elements, as shown in Fig. 28 of the '667 Application.
  • Fig. IA the applicant has previously shown heel lifts with con ⁇ tant frontal or transverse plane thickness, since it is ori ⁇ ented conventionally in alignment with the frontal or transverse plane and perpendicular to the long axis of the shoe sole.
  • the heel wedge or toe taper or other ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole thickness variations in the sagittal plane along the long axis of the shoe sole
  • the heel wedge can be rotated inward in the horizontal plane so that it is located per ⁇ pendicular to the subtalar axis, which is located in the heel area generally about 20 to 25 degrees medially, although a different angle can be used base on individual or group testing; ⁇ uch a orientation may provide better, more natural ⁇ upport to the ⁇ ubtalar joint, through which critical pronation and supination motion occur.
  • the applicant's theoretically ideal stability plane concept would teach that such a heel wedge orientation would require constant ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole thickness in a vertical plane perpendicular to the chosen ⁇ ubtalar joint axi ⁇ , instead of the frontal plane.
  • the sides of the shoe sole ⁇ tructure de ⁇ cribed under Fig. 3 can al ⁇ o be used to form a slightly le ⁇ optimal ⁇ tructure: a conventional shoe sole that has been modified by having its ⁇ ide ⁇ bent up so that their inner surface conforms to shape nearly identical but slightly larger than the shape of the outer surface of the foot sole of the wearer, instead of the shoe sole sides being flat on the ground, as is conventional.
  • the clo ⁇ er the sides are to the shape of the wearer's foot sole, the better as a general rule, but any side position between flat on the ground and conforming like Fig. 3 to a shape ⁇ lightly ⁇ maller than the wearer' shape is both pos ⁇ ible and more effective than conventional flat ⁇ hoe sole side ⁇ .
  • ⁇ ome ca ⁇ e ⁇ such as for diabetic patients, it may be optimal to have relatively loose shoe sole side ⁇ providing no conforming pre ⁇ ure of the ⁇ hoe sole on the tender foot ⁇ ole; in ⁇ uch ca ⁇ e ⁇ , the ⁇ hape of the flexible ⁇ hoe upper ⁇ , which can even be made with very ela ⁇ tic material ⁇ such as lycra and ⁇ pandex, can provide the capability for the shoe, including the shoe sole, to conform to the shape of the foot.
  • the critical functional feature of a shoe sole is that it deforms under a weight-bearing load to conform to the foot sole just as the foot sole deforms to conform to the ground under a weight-bearing load.
  • the shoe sole side ⁇ can even be conventionally flat on the ground — the critical functional feature of both is that they both conform under load to parallel the shape of the ground, which conventional shoes do not, except when exactly upright. Consequently, the appli ⁇ cant's shoe sole invention, stated most broadly, includes any shoe sole - whether conforming to the wearer's foot sole or to the ground or some intermediate position, including a shape much smaller than the wearer's foot sole — that deforms to conform to the theoretically ideal stability plane, which by definition itself deforms in parallel with the deformation of the wearer's foot sole under weight-bearing load.
  • Fig. 4 is Fig. 4 from the applicant's copending U.S. Patent Application No. 07/416,478, filed October 3, 1989.
  • Fig. 4 illustrates, in frontal or transverse plane cross section in the heel area, the applicant's new inven ⁇ tion of shoe sole side thicknes ⁇ increa ⁇ ing beyond the theoretically ideal stability plane to increase stability somewhat beyond its natural level. The unavoidable trade-off resulting is that natural motion would be restricted somewhat and the weight of the shoe sole would increase somewhat.
  • Fig. 4 shows a situation wherein the thickne ⁇ s of the sole at each of the opposed sides is thicker at the portions of the sole 31a by a thicknes ⁇ which gradu ⁇ ally varies continuously from a thickness (s) through a thickne ⁇ s (s+sl) , to a thickne ⁇ ( ⁇ +s2) .
  • Fig. 4 (like Fig ⁇ . 1 and 2 of the '478 application) allows the shoe sole to deform naturally closely paralleling the natural deformation of the barefoot under load; in addition, shoe sole material must be of such composition as to allow the natural deformation following that of the foot.
  • the new designs retain the essential novel aspect of the earlier design ⁇ ; namely, contouring the shape of the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole to the shape of the human foot. The difference is that the shoe ⁇ ole thickness in the frontal plane is allowed to vary rather than remain uni- formly constant. More specifically, Fig. 4 (and Figs.
  • any such mass-produced corrective shoes for the general population would have contoured side portion thicknesses exceeding the theoretically ideal stability plane by an amount of 5 percent to 10 percent , preferably at least in that part of the contoured side which becomes wearer's body weight load-bearing during the full range of inver ⁇ sion and eversion, which is sideways or lateral foot motion.
  • contoured side portion on the order of 11 to 25 percent more than the theoretically ideal stability plane, again, prefer ⁇ ably at least in that part of the contoured side which becomes wearer's body weight load-bearing during the full range of inver ⁇ ion and ever ⁇ ion, which i ⁇ sideways or lateral foot motion.
  • the optimal contour for the increased contoured side thickness may also be determined empirically.
  • the applicant' ⁇ Fig. 4 inven ⁇ tion i ⁇ the ⁇ tructure of a conventional shoe sole that has been modified by having its side ⁇ bent up so that their inner surface conforms to a shape of the outer sur ⁇ face of the foot sole of the wearer (instead of the shoe sole sides conforming to the ground by paralleling it, as is conventional) ; thi ⁇ concept i ⁇ like that de ⁇ cribed in Fig. 3 of the applicant's 07/239,667 application.
  • Fig. 4 for the applicant's fully contoured design described in Fig.
  • the entire shoe sole including both the sides and the portion directly under ⁇ neath the foot — is bent up to conform to a shape nearly identical but slightly smaller than the contoured shape of the unloaded foot sole of the wearer, rather than the partially flattened load-bearing foot ⁇ ole ⁇ hown in Fig. 4.
  • the total shoe sole thickness of the contoured side por- tions, including every layer or portion, is much les ⁇ than the total thickness of the sole portion directly underneath the foot, whereas in the applicant' ⁇ '478 shoe sole invention the shoe sole thickness of the contoured side portions are at least similar to the thicknes ⁇ of the ⁇ ole portion directly underneath the foot, meaning a thickne ⁇ variation of up to 25 percent, as measured in frontal or transverse plane cross sections.
  • the ⁇ ides of the applicant's shoe sole inven ⁇ tion extend sufficiently far up the side ⁇ of the wearer's foot ⁇ ole to maintain the lateral stability of the wearer's foot when bare.
  • the applicant's shoe sole inven ⁇ tion maintains the natural stability and natural, unin ⁇ terrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare through ⁇ out it ⁇ normal range of sideways pronation and supination motion occurring during all load-bearing phases of loco- motion of the wearer, including when the wearer i ⁇ stand ⁇ ing, walking, jogging and running, even when said foot is tilted to the extreme limit of that normal range, in contrast to unstable and inflexible conventional shoe sole ⁇ , including the partially contoured exi ⁇ ting art de ⁇ cribed above.
  • the sides of the applicant's shoe sole invention extend sufficiently far up the sides of the wearer's foot sole to maintain the natural stability and uninterrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare.
  • the exact thickne ⁇ of the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole sides and their specific contour will be determined empirically for individuals and groups using ⁇ tandard biomechanical technique ⁇ of gait analy ⁇ i ⁇ to determine those combinations that best provide the barefoot stability described above.
  • the amount of any ⁇ hoe sole side portions coplanar with the theo ⁇ retically ideal stability plane is determined by the degree of shoe ⁇ ole ⁇ tability de ⁇ ired and the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole weight and bulk required to provide ⁇ aid ⁇ tability; the amount of ⁇ aid coplanar contoured ⁇ ide ⁇ that i ⁇ provided ⁇ aid ⁇ hoe sole being sufficient to maintain intact the firm stability of the wearer's foot throughout the range of foot inversion and eversion motion typical of the u ⁇ e for which the ⁇ hoe i ⁇ intended and also typical of the kind of wearer — such as normal or excessive pronator — for which said shoe is intended.
  • the applicant' ⁇ preferred shoe sole embodiments include the structural and material flexibil ⁇ ity to deform in parallel to the natural deformation of the wearer's foot sole as if it were bare and unaffected by any of the abnormal foot biomechanics created by rigid conventional shoe sole.
  • the applicant's preferred shoe sole embodiments are sufficiently firm to provide the wearer's foot with the structural support neces ⁇ ary to maintain normal pronation and ⁇ upination, a ⁇ if the wearer's foot were bare; in contrast, the excessive soft ⁇ ness of many of the shoe sole materials used in shoe soles in the existing art cause abnormal foot pronation and supination.
  • the applicant has previously shown heel lift ⁇ with con ⁇ tant frontal or tran ⁇ ver ⁇ e plane thickness, since it is ori- ented conventionally in alignment with the frontal or transverse plane and perpendicular to the long axis of the shoe sole.
  • the heel wedge or toe taper or other shoe sole thickne ⁇ variations in the sagittal plane along the long axis of the shoe sole
  • the heel wedge can be located per ⁇ pendicular to the subtalar axis, which is located in the heel area generally about 20 to 25 degree ⁇ medially, although a different angle can be u ⁇ ed ba ⁇ e on individual or group testing; such a orientation may provide better, more natural support to the subtalar joint, through which critical pronation and supination motion occur.
  • the applicant's theoretically ideal stability plane concept would teach that such a heel wedge orientation would require constant shoe sole thicknes ⁇ in a vertical plane perpendicular to the cho ⁇ en ⁇ ubtalar joint axi ⁇ , in ⁇ tead of the frontal plane.
  • Fig. 5 i ⁇ Fig. 5 in the applicant' ⁇ copending U.S. Patent Application No. 07/416,478 and ⁇ how ⁇ , in frontal or tran ⁇ ver ⁇ e plane cro ⁇ ⁇ ection in the heel area, a variation of the enhanced fully contoured design wherein the shoe sole begins to thicken beyond the theo- retically ideal ⁇ tability plane 51 at the contoured ⁇ ides portion, preferably at least in that part of the con ⁇ toured side which becomes wearer's body weight load-bear ⁇ ing during the full range of inversion and eversion, which is ⁇ ideway ⁇ or lateral foot motion.
  • Fig. 6 is Fig. 10 in the applicant's copending '478 Application and show ⁇ , in frontal or transverse plane cros ⁇ ⁇ ection in the heel area, that ⁇ imilar varia ⁇ tion ⁇ in shoe midsole (other portions of the shoe sole area not shown) density can provide similar but reduced effects to the variations in shoe sole thickness described previously in Figs. 4 and 5.
  • the major advan ⁇ tage of this approach is that the structural theoreti ⁇ cally ideal stability plane i ⁇ retained, ⁇ o that natu- rally optimal stability and efficient motion are retained to the maximum extent pos ⁇ ible.
  • the ⁇ e con ⁇ tructive den ⁇ ⁇ ity variation ⁇ are mo ⁇ t typically mea ⁇ ured in durometer ⁇ on a Shore A scale, to include from 5 percent to 10 per ⁇ cent and from 11 percent up to 25 percent.
  • the density variations are located preferably at lea ⁇ t in that part of the contoured side which becomes wearer's body weight load-bearing during the full range of inversion and ever ⁇ sion, which is sideway ⁇ or lateral foot motion.
  • Den ⁇ ity variation ⁇ can and do, of cour ⁇ e, al ⁇ o occur in other layer ⁇ of the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole, ⁇ uch as the bottom sole and the inner ⁇ ole, and can occur in any combination and in ⁇ ymmetrical or asymmetrical pat- terns between layers or between frontal or transverse plane cros ⁇ sections.
  • the applicant's shoe sole inven- tion maintains the natural ⁇ tability and natural, unin ⁇ terrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare through ⁇ out its normal range of sideway ⁇ pronation and supination motion occurring during all load-bearing phase ⁇ of loco ⁇ motion of the wearer, including when the wearer i ⁇ stand- ing, walking, jogging and running, even when said foot is tilted to the extreme limit of that normal range, in con ⁇ trast to un ⁇ table and inflexible conventional shoe soles, including the partially contoured existing art de ⁇ cribed above.
  • the ⁇ ides of the applicant's shoe sole invention extend sufficiently far up the sides of the wearer's foot sole to maintain the natural stability and uninterrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare.
  • the exact mate ⁇ rial den ⁇ ity of the ⁇ hoe sole side ⁇ will be determined empirically for individual ⁇ and group ⁇ using standard biomechanical techniques of gait analysis to determine tho ⁇ e combinations that best provide the barefoot stabil ⁇ ity described above.
  • the amount of any shoe sole side portions coplanar with the theo- retically ideal stability plane is determined by the degree of shoe sole stability desired and the shoe sole weight and bulk required to provide said stability; the amount of said coplanar contoured side ⁇ that i ⁇ provided said shoe sole being sufficient to maintain intact the firm stability of the wearer's foot throughout the range of foot inversion and eversion motion typical of the use for which the shoe is intended and also typical of the kind of wearer — ⁇ uch as normal or exces ⁇ ive pronator — for which said shoe is intended.
  • the applicant's preferred shoe sole embodiments include the structural and material flexibil- ity to deform in parallel to the natural deformation of the wearer's foot sole as if it were bare and unaffected by any of the abnormal foot biomechanics created by rigid conventional shoe sole.
  • the applicant's preferred shoe sole embodiments are sufficiently firm to provide the wearer's foot with the structural support necessary to maintain normal pronation and supination, as if the wearer's foot were bare; in contrast, the exces ⁇ ive ⁇ oft- ness of many of the shoe sole materials used in shoe sole ⁇ in the exi ⁇ ting art cause abnormal foot pronation and supination.
  • Fig. IA the applicant has previously shown heel lifts with constant frontal or transverse plane thickness, since it is ori- ented conventionally in alignment with the frontal or transverse plane and perpendicular to the long axis of the shoe ⁇ ole.
  • the heel wedge or toe taper or other shoe sole thickness variations in the sagittal plane along the long axis of the shoe sole
  • the heel wedge can be located perpendicular to the subtalar axis, which is located in the heel area generally about 20 to 25 degrees medially, although a different angle can be u ⁇ ed ba ⁇ e on individual or group te ⁇ ting; ⁇ uch a orientation may provide better, more natural ⁇ upport to the ⁇ ubtalar joint, through which critical pronation and ⁇ upination motion occur.
  • the applicant' ⁇ theoretically ideal ⁇ tability plane concept would teach that ⁇ uch a heel wedge orientation would require constant shoe sole thicknes ⁇ in a vertical plane perpendicular to the cho ⁇ en ⁇ ubtalar joint axi ⁇ , in ⁇ tead of the frontal plane.
  • Fig. 7 show ⁇ a embodiment like the fully contoured design in Fig. 5, but with a show ⁇ ole thickne ⁇ decreas ⁇ ing with increasing distance from the center portion of the sole.
  • Fig. 8 is Fig. 13 of the '478 Application and show ⁇ , in frontal or tran ⁇ ver ⁇ e plane cross section, a bottom sole tread design that provides about the same overall shoe sole density variation as that provided in Fig. 6 by midsole density variation. The less supporting tread there is under any particular portion of the shoe sole, the less effective overall shoe density there i ⁇ , since the midsole above that portion will deform more easily than if it were fully supported.
  • Fig. 8 from the '478 is illu ⁇ trative of the applicant' ⁇ point that bottom ⁇ ole tread patterns, just like midsole or bottom sole or inner sole density, directly affect the actual structural support the foot receives from the shoe sole.
  • bottom ⁇ ole tread patterns just like midsole or bottom sole or inner sole density
  • tread patterns directly affect the actual structural support the foot receives from the shoe sole.
  • a typical example in the real world is the popular "center of pres ⁇ ure" tread pattern, which is like a backward horse ⁇ shoe attached to the heel that leaves the heel area directly under the calcaneus un ⁇ upported by tread, ⁇ o that all of the weight bearing load in the heel area i ⁇ transmitted to outside edge treads. Variations of this pattern are extremely common in athletic shoes and are nearly universal in running shoes, of which the 1991 Nike 180 model and the Avia "cantilever" series are examples.
  • the applicant's '478 shoe ⁇ ole invention can, therefore, utilize bottom sole tread patterns like any these common examples, together or even in the absence of any other shoe sole thickness or density variation, to achieve an effective thicknes ⁇ greater than the theoreti- cally ideal stability plane, in order to achieve greater stability than the shoe sole would otherwise provide, as discussed earlier under Fig ⁇ . 4-6.
  • shoe bottom or outer sole tread patterns can be fairly irregular and/or complex and can thus make difficult the measurement of the outer load-bearing sur ⁇ face of the shoe sole. Consequently, thickne ⁇ varia ⁇ tions in small portions of the shoe sole that will deform or compress without significant overall resi ⁇ tance under a wearer's body weight load to the thickness of the over- all load-bearing plane of the shoe out sole should be ignored during measurement, whether such easy deformation is made possible by very high point pressure or by the use of relatively compressible outsole (or underlying midsole) material ⁇ .
  • Portion ⁇ of the out ⁇ ole bottom ⁇ urface compo ⁇ ed of material ⁇ (or made of a delicate ⁇ tructure, much like the ⁇ mall rai ⁇ ed marker ⁇ on new tire treads to prove the tire i ⁇ brand new and unused) that wear relatively quickly, so that thicknes ⁇ variations that exist when the shoe sole is new and unused, but disappear quickly in use, should also be ignored when measuring shoe ⁇ ole thickne ⁇ s in frontal or transver ⁇ e plane cro ⁇ s sections.
  • midsole thicknes ⁇ variations of unused shoe sole ⁇ due to the u ⁇ e of material ⁇ or structures that compact or expand quickly after use should also be ignore when measuring shoe sole thickne ⁇ in frontal or trans ⁇ verse plane cros ⁇ sections.
  • the applicant' ⁇ ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole invention maintain ⁇ intact the firm lateral stability of the wearer's foot, that stability as demonstrated when the foot is unshod and tilted out laterally in inversion to the extreme limit of the normal range of motion of the ankle joint of the foot.
  • the sides of the applicant's shoe sole inven ⁇ tion extend sufficiently far up the ⁇ ides of the wearer's foot ⁇ ole to maintain the lateral stability of the wearer's foot when bare.
  • the applicant's shoe sole inven ⁇ tion maintains the natural stability and natural, unin ⁇ terrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare through ⁇ out its normal range of sideways pronation and supination motion occurring during all load-bearing phase ⁇ of loco- motion of the wearer, including when the wearer i ⁇ ⁇ tand- ing, walking, jogging and running, even when the foot i ⁇ tilted to the extreme limit of that normal range, in contra ⁇ t to un ⁇ table and inflexible conventional shoe sole ⁇ , including the partially contoured exi ⁇ ting art de ⁇ cribed above.
  • the sides of the applicant's shoe sole invention extend sufficiently far up the side ⁇ of the wearer' ⁇ foot sole to maintain the natural stability and uninterrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare.
  • the exact thickness and material density of the bottom sole tread, as well a ⁇ the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole sides and their specific contour, will be determined empirically for individuals and groups u ⁇ ing ⁇ tandard biomechanical technique ⁇ of gait analy ⁇ i ⁇ to determine tho ⁇ e combination ⁇ that be ⁇ t provide the barefoot ⁇ tability de ⁇ cribed above.
  • the optimal pressure-tran ⁇ mitting medium is that which most clo ⁇ ely approximate ⁇ the fat pad ⁇ of the foot; ⁇ ilicone gel i ⁇ probably most optimal of materials currently readily available, but future improvements are probable; since it transmits pressure indirectly, in that it compresses in volume under pressure, gas is significantly les ⁇ optimal.
  • the gas, gel, or liquid, or any other effective material can be further encapsulated itself, in addition to the sides of the shoe sole, to control leakage and maintain uniformity, as is common conventionally, and can be sub ⁇ divided into any practical number of encap ⁇ ulated areas within a compartment, again as is common conventionally.
  • the relative thickness of the cushioning compartment 161 can vary, as can the bottom sole 149 and the upper mid- ⁇ ole 147, and can be consistent or differ in various areas of the shoe sole; the optimal relative sizes should be those that approximate mo ⁇ t closely those of the aver ⁇ age human foot, which sugge ⁇ t ⁇ both smaller upper and lower sole ⁇ and a larger cushioning compartment than shown in Fig. 9. And the cu ⁇ hioning compartment ⁇ or pads 161 can be placed anywhere from directly underneath the foot, like an insole, to directly above the bottom sole. Optimally, the amount of compression created by a given load in any cushioning compartment 161 should be tuned to approximate as closely as pos ⁇ ible the compre ⁇ ion under the corre ⁇ ponding fat pad of the foot.
  • Fig. 9 conforms to the natural contour of the foot and to the natural method of transmitting bottom pre ⁇ sure into side ten ⁇ ion in the flexible but relatively non-stretching (the actual optimal elasticity will require empirical studies) side ⁇ of the shoe sole.
  • Fig. 9D show ⁇ the ⁇ ame shoe sole design when fully loaded and tilted to the natural 20 degree lateral limit, like Fig. 41D.
  • Fig. 9D show ⁇ that an added sta ⁇ bility benefit of the natural cushioning system for shoe soles is that the effective thickne ⁇ s of the shoe sole is reduced by compres ⁇ ion on the ⁇ ide ⁇ o that the potential destabilizing lever arm represented by the shoe sole thickness is also reduced, so foot and ankle stability is increa ⁇ ed.
  • FIG. 9 de ⁇ ign i ⁇ that the upper mid ⁇ ole ⁇ hoe surface can move in any horizontal direction, either sideway ⁇ or front to back in order to ab ⁇ orb ⁇ hearing force ⁇ ; that shearing motion is con ⁇ trolled by tension in the sides.
  • the right side of Figs. 9A-D is modified to provide a natural crea ⁇ e or upward taper 162, which allows complete side compres ⁇ ion without binding or bunching between the upper and lower shoe sole layers 147, 148, and 149; the shoe sole crease 162 parallels exactly a similar crease or taper 163 in the human foot.
  • FIG. 9A-D Another possible variation of joining shoe upper to shoe bottom sole is on the right (lateral) side of Figs. 9A-D, which makes use of the fact that it is optimal for the tension absorbing shoe sole sides, whether shoe upper or bottom sole, to coincide with the Theoretically Ideal Stability Plane along the side of the shoe sole beyond that point reached when the shoe is tilted to the foot's natural limit, so that no destabil ⁇ izing shoe ⁇ ole lever arm i ⁇ created when the ⁇ hoe i ⁇ tilted fully, a ⁇ in Fig. 9D.
  • the joint may be moved up ⁇ lightly so that the fabric ⁇ ide does not come in contact with the ground, or it may be cover with a coating to provide both traction and fabric protection.
  • Fig. 9 design pro ⁇ vides a structural basis for the shoe sole to conform very easily to the natural shape of the human foot and to parallel easily the natural deformation flattening of the foot during load-bearing motion on the ground. This is true even if the shoe ⁇ ole i ⁇ made conventionally with a flat ⁇ ole, a ⁇ long a ⁇ rigid structures such as heel coun ⁇ ters and motion control devices are not used; though not optimal, such a conventional flat shoe made like Fig. 9 would provide the essential features of the new invention resulting in significantly improved cushioning and sta ⁇ bility.
  • the Fig. 9 design could also be applied to intermediate-shaped shoe soles that neither conform to the flat ground or the naturally contoured foot.
  • the Fig. 9 design can be applied to the appli ⁇ cant's other designs, such as those described in his pending U.S. application No. 07/416,478, filed on October 3, 1989.
  • the Fig. 9 de ⁇ ign ⁇ how ⁇ a ⁇ hoe con- ⁇ truction for a ⁇ hoe, including: a ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole with a com ⁇ partment or compartment ⁇ under the ⁇ tructural elements of the human foot, including at least the heel; the com ⁇ partment or compartments contains a pres ⁇ ure-tran ⁇ mitting medium like liquid, gas, or gel; a portion of the upper surface of the shoe sole compartment firmly contacts the lower surface of said compartment during normal load- bearing; and pres ⁇ ure from the load-bearing is transmit- tedprogressively at lea ⁇ t in part to the relatively inela ⁇ tic sides, top and bottom of the shoe sole compart ⁇ ment or compartments, producing tension.
  • the applicant's Fig. 9 invention can be com ⁇ bined with the Fig. 3 invention, although the combination is not shown; the Fig. 9 invention can be combined with Figs. 10 and 11 below. Also not shown, but useful com ⁇ binations, is the applicant's Figs. 3, 10 and 11 inven ⁇ tions with all of the applicant's deformation ⁇ ipes inventions, the first of a sequence of applications on various embodiments of that sipes invention is U.S. No. 07/424,509, filed October 20, 1989, and with his inven ⁇ tions based on other sagittal plane or long axis shoe sole thickness variations described in U.S. Application No. 07/469,313, filed January 24, 1990.
  • All of the applicant's shoe sole invention men ⁇ tioned immediately above maintain intact the firm lateral stability of the wearer' ⁇ foot, that ⁇ tability as demon ⁇ strated when the wearer's foot is unshod and tilted out laterally in inversion to the extreme limit of the normal range of motion of the ankle joint of the foot; in a similar demonstration in a conventional shoe sole, the wearer's foot and ankle are unstable.
  • the sides of the applicant's shoe sole invention extend sufficiently far up the ⁇ ide ⁇ of the wearer's foot sole to maintain the lateral stability of the wearer's foot when bare.
  • the applicant's invention main ⁇ tains the natural stability and natural, uninterrupted motion of the foot when bare throughout its normal range of sideways pronation and supination motion occurring during all load-bearing phases of locomotion of the wearer, including when said wearer is standing, walking, jogging and running, even when the foot is tilted to the extreme limit of that normal range, in contrast to unsta- ble and inflexible conventional shoe soles, including the partially contoured existing art described above.
  • the sides of the applicant's shoe sole invention extend suf ⁇ ficiently far up the sides of the wearer's foot sole to maintain the natural stability and uninterrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare.
  • the exact material den ⁇ sity of the shoe sole sides will be determined empirically for individuals and groups using standard biomechanical techniques of gait analysi ⁇ to determine tho ⁇ e combinations that best provide the barefoot stabil ⁇ ity described above.
  • the amount of any shoe sole side por ⁇ tions coplanar with the theoretically ideal stability plane is determined by the degree of shoe sole stability de ⁇ ired and the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole weight and bulk required to provide said stability; the amount of said coplanar con ⁇ toured sides that is provided said shoe sole being suffi ⁇ cient to maintain intact the firm stability of the wearer's foot throughout the range of foot inversion and eversion motion typical of the use for which the shoe is intended and also typical of the kind of wearer — such as normal or as exces ⁇ ive pronator — for which said shoe is intended.
  • the shoe sole sides are sufficiently flexible to bend out easily when the shoe ⁇ are put on the wearer' ⁇ feet and therefore the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole ⁇ gently hold the sides of the wearer's foot sole when on, providing the equivalent of custom fit in a ma ⁇ -produced shoe sole.
  • the applicant's preferred shoe sole embodiments include the structural and material flexibil ⁇ ity to deform in parallel to the natural deformation of the wearer's foot ⁇ ole a ⁇ if it were bare and unaffected by any of the abnormal foot biomechanic ⁇ created by rigid conventional ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole.
  • the applicant's preferred shoe sole embodiments are sufficiently firm to provide the wearer's foot with the structural support neces ⁇ ary to maintain normal pronation and supination, as if the wearer's foot were bare; in contrast, the excessive soft ⁇ ness of many of the shoe sole materials used in shoe soles in the existing art cause abnormal foot pronation and supination.
  • Fig. 10 was new with this '598 application and is a combination of the shoe sole structure concepts of Fig. 3 and Fig. 4; it combines the custom fit design with the contoured sides greater than the theoretically ideal stability plane. It would apply as well to the Fig. 7 design with contoured side ⁇ le ⁇ than the theoretically ideal stability plane, but that combination is not shown. It would also apply to the Fig. 8 design, which ⁇ how ⁇ a bottom sole tread design, but that combination is also not shown.
  • Fig. 3 custom fit invention is novel for shoe sole structures as defined by the theoretically ideal stability plane, which specifies constant shoe sole thickness in frontal or transverse plane
  • the Fig. 3 cus- torn fit invention i ⁇ al ⁇ o novel for shoe sole structures with sides that exceed the theoretically ideal stability plane: that is, a shoe sole with thicknes ⁇ greater in the sides than underneath the foot. It would also be novel for shoe sole structure ⁇ with sides that are less than the theoretically ideal stability plane, within the parameters defined in the '714 application. And it would be novel for a shoe sole ⁇ tructure that provides stabil ⁇ ity like the barefoot, as described in Figs, l and 2 of the '714 application.
  • the appli ⁇ cant's invention i ⁇ the ⁇ tructure of a conventional shoe sole that has been modified by having its sides bent up so that their inner surface conforms to a shape nearly identical but slightly smaller than the shape of the outer surface of the foot sole of the wearer (instead of the shoe sole side ⁇ conforming to the ground by parallel ⁇ ing it, a ⁇ is conventional) ; this concept is like that described in Fig. 3 of the applicant's 07/239,667 appli- cation.
  • Fig. 3 the applicant's 07/239,667 appli- cation.
  • the entire shoe sole — including both the side ⁇ and the portion directly underneath the foot — is bent up to conform to a shape nearly identical but slightly smaller than the contoured shape of the unloaded foot sole of the wearer, rather than the partially flattened load-bearing foot sole shown in Fig. 3.
  • the total shoe sole thickness of the contoured side por ⁇ tions is much le ⁇ s than the total thickness of the sole portion directly underneath the foot
  • the shoe sole thickness of the con ⁇ toured side portions are at least similar to the thick ⁇ ness of the sole portion directly underneath the foot, meaning a thickness variation of up to 25 percent, as measured in frontal or transver ⁇ e plane cross sections.
  • the applicant's invention main ⁇ tains the natural ⁇ tability and natural, uninterrupted motion of the foot when bare throughout it ⁇ normal range of ⁇ ideway ⁇ pronation and ⁇ upination motion occurring during all load-bearing pha ⁇ e ⁇ of locomotion of the wearer, including when said wearer is standing, walking, jogging and running, even when the foot is tilted to the extreme limit of that normal range, in contrast to unsta ⁇ ble and inflexible conventional shoe sole ⁇ , including the partially contoured exi ⁇ ting art de ⁇ cribed above.
  • the sides of the applicant's shoe sole invention extend suf ⁇ ficiently far up the side ⁇ of the wearer' ⁇ foot sole to maintain the natural stability and uninterrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare.
  • the amount of any ⁇ hoe sole side portions coplanar with the theo- retically ideal stability plane is determined by the degree of shoe sole stability desired and the shoe sole weight and bulk required to provide said stability; the amount of said coplanar contoured side ⁇ that i ⁇ provided said shoe sole being sufficient to maintain intact the firm stability of the wearer's foot throughout the range of foot inversion and eversion motion typical of the use for which the shoe is intended and also typical of the kind of wearer — such a ⁇ normal or a ⁇ exce ⁇ ive pronator — for which said shoe is intended.
  • the shoe sole sides are sufficiently flexible to bend out ea ⁇ ily when the shoes are put on the wearer's feet and therefore the shoe soles gently hold the sides of the wearer's foot sole when on, providing the equivalent of custom fit in a mass-produced shoe sole.
  • the applicant's preferred shoe sole embodiment ⁇ include the ⁇ tructural and material flexibil ⁇ ity to deform in parallel to the natural deformation of the wearer' ⁇ foot ⁇ ole as if it were bare and unaffected by any of the abnormal foot biomechanics created by rigid conventional shoe sole.
  • the applicant's preferred shoe sole embodiment ⁇ are sufficiently firm to provide the wearer's foot with the structural support necessary to maintain normal pronation and supination, as if the wearer's foot were bare; in contra ⁇ t, the exce ⁇ sive soft- ne ⁇ of many of the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole materials used in shoe soles in the existing art cause abnormal foot pronation and supination.
  • the applicant has previou ⁇ ly ⁇ hown heel lift with con ⁇ tant frontal or tran ⁇ verse plane thickness, since it is oriented conventionally in alignment with the frontal or transverse plane and perpendicular to the long axis of the shoe sole.
  • the heel wedge or toe taper or other shoe sole thicknes ⁇ variation ⁇ in the sagittal plane along the long axis of the ⁇ hoe sole
  • the heel wedge can be located per ⁇ pendicular to the subtalar axis, which is located in the heel area generally about 20 to 25 degrees medially, although a different angle can be used base on individual or group testing; such a orientation may provide better, more natural support to the subtalar joint, through which critical pronation and supination motion occur.
  • the applicant's theoretically ideal stability plane concept would teach that such a heel wedge orientation would require constant shoe sole thickness in a vertical plane perpendicular to the chosen subtalar joint axis, instead of the frontal plane.
  • the intentional under ⁇ izing of the flexible shoe sole sides allows for simplified design of shoe sole lasts, since the shoe last needs only to be approximate to provide a virtual custom fit, due to the flexible sides.
  • the under ⁇ sized flexible shoe sole sides allow the applicant's Fig. 10 shoe sole invention based on the theoretically ideal stability plane to be manufactured in relatively standard sizes in the same manner as are shoe uppers, since the flexible shoe sole side ⁇ can be built on ⁇ tandard ⁇ hoe la ⁇ t ⁇ , even though conceptually tho ⁇ e sides conform to the specific shape of the individual wearer's foot sole, because the flexible sides bend to so conform when on the wearer' ⁇ foot ⁇ ole.
  • Fig. 10 shows the shoe sole structure when not on the foot of the wearer;
  • the dashed line 29 indicates the position of the shoe la ⁇ t, which is assumed to be a reasonably accurate approximation of the ⁇ hape of the outer surface of the wearer's foot sole, which determines the shape of the theoretically ideal stability plane 51.
  • the dashed lines 29 and 51 show what the positions of the inner surface 30 and outer surface 31 of the shoe sole would be when the shoe is put on the foot of the wearer.
  • the Fig. 10 invention provides a way make the inner surface 30 of the contoured ⁇ hoe sole, especially its sides, conform very closely to the outer surface 29 of the foot sole of a wearer. It thus makes much more practical the applicant's earlier underlying naturally contoured designs shown in Figs. 4 and 5.
  • the shoe sole structure ⁇ shown in Fig. 4 and 5, then, are what the Fig.
  • shoe sole structure would be when on the wearer's load-bearing foot, where the inner surface 30 of the shoe upper is bent out to virtually coincide with the outer surface of the foot sole of the wearer 29 (the figures in this and prior applications ⁇ how one line to emphasize the conceptual coincidence of what in fact are two lines; in real world embodiments, some divergence of the sur ⁇ face, especially under load and during locomotion would be unavoidable) .
  • a conventional shoe sole that has been modified by having its sides bent up so that their inner surface conforms to shape nearly identical but ⁇ lightly larger than the shape of the outer surface of the foot sole of the wearer, instead of the ⁇ hoe sole sides being flat on the ground, as i ⁇ conventional.
  • the clo ⁇ er the ⁇ ide ⁇ are to the ⁇ hape of the wearer's foot sole, the better a ⁇ a general rule, but any side position between flat on the ground and conforming like Fig. 10 to a shape slightly smaller than the wearer's ⁇ hape i ⁇ both possible and more effective than conventional flat shoe sole sides.
  • the critical functional feature of a shoe sole is that it deforms under a weight-bearing load to conform to the foot sole just as the foot sole deforms to conform to the ground under a weight-bearing load. So, even though the foot sole and the shoe sole may ⁇ tart in different loca ⁇ tion ⁇ - the shoe sole sides can even be conventionally flat on the ground - the critical functional feature of both is that they both conform under load to parallel the shape of the ground, which conventional shoes do not, except when exactly upright.
  • the applicant's shoe sole invention includes any shoe sole - whether conforming to the wearer's foot sole or to the ground or some intermediate position, including a ⁇ hape much smaller than the wearer's foot sole - that deforms to conform to a ⁇ hape at least similar to the theoretically ideal stability plane, which by definition itself deforms in parallel with the deformation of the wearer's foot sole under weight-bearing load.
  • the position of the shoe sole side ⁇ before the wearer put ⁇ on the shoe is less important, since the sides will easily conform to the shape of the wearer's foot when the shoe is put on that foot.
  • shoe sole sides that conform to a shape more than slightly smaller than the shape of the outer surface of the wearer's foot sole would function in accordance with the applicant's general invention, since the flexible sides could bend out easily a considerable relative distance and still conform to the wearer's foot ⁇ ole when on the wearer's foot.
  • Fig. 11 i ⁇ new with thi ⁇ application and i ⁇ a combination of the ⁇ hoe sole ⁇ tructure concept ⁇ of Fig. 3 and Fig. 6; it combine ⁇ the cu ⁇ tom fit de ⁇ ign with the contoured ⁇ ide ⁇ having material den ⁇ ity variations that produce an effect similar to variations in shoe sole thickne ⁇ s shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 7; only the midsole is shown.
  • the den ⁇ ity variation pattern ⁇ hown in Fig. 2 can be combined with the type shown in Fig. 11.
  • the density pattern can be constant in all cros ⁇ ⁇ ection ⁇ taken along the long the long axi ⁇ of the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole or the pattern can vary.
  • the applicant's Fig. 11 shoe sole invention maintains intact the firm lateral stability of the wearer's foot, that stability as demonstrated when the wearer's foot is unshod and tilted out laterally in inver ⁇ ion to the extreme limit of the normal range of motion of the ankle joint of the foot; in a ⁇ imilar dem ⁇ onstration in a conventional shoe sole, the wearer's foot and ankle are unstable.
  • the sides of the applicant's ⁇ hoe sole invention extend sufficiently far up the sides of the wearer's foot sole to maintain the lateral stabil ⁇ ity of the wearer's foot when bare.
  • the applicant's invention main ⁇ tains the natural stability and natural, uninterrupted motion of the foot when bare throughout its normal range of sideways pronation and supination motion occurring during all load-bearing phases of locomotion of the wearer, including when said wearer is standing, walking, jogging and running, even when the foot is tilted to the extreme limit of that normal range, in contrast to unsta ⁇ ble and inflexible conventional shoe ⁇ ole ⁇ , including the partially contoured exi ⁇ ting art de ⁇ cribed above.
  • the sides of the applicant's shoe ⁇ ole invention extend ⁇ uf- ficiently far up the sides of the wearer's foot sole to maintain the natural stability and uninterrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare.
  • the amount of any shoe sole side portions coplanar with the theoret ⁇ ically ideal stability plane is determined by the degree of shoe sole ⁇ tability desired and the shoe sole weight and bulk required to provide said ⁇ tability; the amount of said coplanar contoured side ⁇ that is provided said shoe sole being sufficient to maintain intact the firm stability of the wearer's foot throughout the range of foot inversion and eversion motion typical of the u ⁇ e for which the ⁇ hoe i ⁇ intended and also typical of the kind of wearer - such as normal or as excessive pronator - for which said shoe is intended.
  • the shoe sole ⁇ ide ⁇ are sufficiently flexible to bend out easily when the shoe ⁇ are put on the wearer' ⁇ feet and therefore the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole ⁇ gently hold the ⁇ ide ⁇ of the wearer's foot sole when on, providing the equivalent of custom fit in a mas ⁇ -produced ⁇ hoe sole.
  • the applicant's preferred shoe sole embodiment ⁇ include the ⁇ tructural and material flexibil ⁇ ity to deform in parallel to the natural deformation of the wearer's foot sole as if it were bare and unaffected by any of the abnormal foot biomechanics created by rigid conventional shoe sole.
  • the applicant's preferred shoe sole embodiment ⁇ are ⁇ ufficiently firm to provide the wearer's foot with the structural ⁇ upport nece ⁇ ary to maintain normal pronation and supination, as if the wearer's foot were bare; in contrast, the excessive ⁇ oft- ne ⁇ of many of the ⁇ hoe sole materials u ⁇ ed in ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole ⁇ in the existing art cause abnormal foot pronation and supination.
  • the applicant has previously shown heel lift with constant frontal or transverse plane thicknes ⁇ , ⁇ ince it i ⁇ oriented conventionally in alignment with the frontal or tran ⁇ ver ⁇ e plane and perpendicular to the long axis of the shoe sole.
  • the heel wedge or toe taper or other shoe sole thicknes ⁇ variation ⁇ in the sagittal plane along the long axis of the shoe sole
  • the heel wedge can be located perpendicular to the ⁇ ubtalar axis, which is located in the heel area generally about 20 to 25 degree ⁇ medially, although a different angle can be u ⁇ ed ba ⁇ e on individual or group testing; such a orientation may provide better, more natural support to the subtalar joint, through which critical pronation and supination motion occur.
  • the applicant's theoretically ideal stability plane concept would teach that such a heel wedge orientation would require constant shoe ⁇ ole thickness in a vertical plane perpendicular to the chosen subtalar joint axis, instead of the frontal plane.
  • the intentional undersizing of the flexible shoe sole sides allows for simplified design of shoe sole lasts, since the shoe last needs only to be approximate to provide a virtual custom fit, due to the flexible sides.
  • the under- sized flexible shoe sole side ⁇ allow the applicant' ⁇ Fig.
  • a flexible under ⁇ ized ver ⁇ ion of the fully contoured de ⁇ ign de ⁇ cribed in Fig. 11 can al ⁇ o be provided by a ⁇ imilar geometric approximation.
  • the undersized flexible shoe sole side ⁇ allow the applicant' ⁇ shoe sole inventions based on the theoreti ⁇ cally ideal ⁇ tability plane to be manufactured in rela ⁇ tively ⁇ tandard ⁇ ize ⁇ in the same manner as are shoe uppers, since the flexible shoe sole sides can be built on standard ⁇ hoe la ⁇ ts, even though conceptually tho ⁇ e sides conform closely to the specific shape of the indi ⁇ vidual wearer's foot sole, because the flexible sides bend to conform when on the wearer's foot sole.
  • Fig. 11 shows the shoe sole ⁇ tructure when not on the foot of the wearer;
  • the da ⁇ hed line 29 indicates the position of the shoe last, which is assumed to be a reasonably accurate approximation of the ⁇ hape of the outer ⁇ urface of the wearer's foot sole, which determines the shape of the theoretically ideal stability plane 51.
  • the da ⁇ hed lines 29 and 51 show what the positions of the inner surface 30 and outer surface 31 of the ⁇ hoe sole would be when the ⁇ hoe i ⁇ put on the foot of the wearer.
  • the Fig. 11 invention provides a way make the inner surface 30 of the contoured shoe sole, especially it ⁇ sides, conform very closely to the outer surface 29 of the foot sole of a wearer. It thus make ⁇ much more practical the applicant's earlier underlying naturally contoured design ⁇ shown in Fig. 1A-C and Fig. 6.
  • the shoe sole structure shown in Fig. 61, then, is what the Fig.
  • 11 shoe sole structure would be when on the wearer's foot, where the inner surface 30 of the shoe upper is bent out to virtually coincide with the outer surface of the foot sole of the wearer 29 (the figures in thi ⁇ and prior applications show one line to emphasize the concep ⁇ tual coincidence of what in fact are two lines; in real world embodiments, ⁇ ome divergence of the ⁇ urface, e ⁇ pe ⁇ cially under load and during locomotion would be unavoid- able) .
  • the ⁇ ide ⁇ of the shoe sole structure described under Fig. 11 can also be used to form a slightly less optimal structure: a conventional shoe sole that has been modified by having its sides bent up so that their inner surface conforms to shape nearly identical but slightly larger than the shape of the outer ⁇ urface of the foot sole of the wearer, in ⁇ tead of the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole sides being flat on the ground, as is conventional.
  • a conventional shoe sole that has been modified by having its sides bent up so that their inner surface conforms to shape nearly identical but slightly larger than the shape of the outer ⁇ urface of the foot sole of the wearer, in ⁇ tead of the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole sides being flat on the ground, as is conventional.
  • the closer the side ⁇ are to the ⁇ hape of the wearer' ⁇ foot sole the better as a general rule, but any side position between flat on the ground and conforming like Fig. 11 to a shape slightly smaller than the wearer's shape is both possible and more effective than conventional flat shoe sole
  • the shape of the flexible shoe uppers which can even be made with very elastic materials such as lycra and spandex, can provide the capability for the shoe, including the ⁇ hoe sole, to conform to the shape of the foot.
  • the critical functional feature of a ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole is that it deforms under a weight-bearing load to conform to the foot sole just a ⁇ the foot ⁇ ole deform ⁇ to conform to the ground under a weight-bearing load. So, even though the foot ⁇ ole and the shoe sole may start in different loca ⁇ tions - the shoe ⁇ ole sides can even be conventionally flat on the ground - the critical functional feature of both is that they both conform under load to parallel the shape of the ground, which conventional shoes do not, except when exactly upright.
  • the applicant's shoe sole invention ⁇ tated mo ⁇ t broadly, include ⁇ any ⁇ hoe sole - whether conforming to the wearer's foot sole or to the ground or some intermediate position, including a shape much smaller than the wearer's foot sole - that deforms to conform to the theo- retically ideal stability plane, which by definition itself deforms in parallel with the deformation of the wearer's foot sole under weight-bearing load.
  • the shoe sole side ⁇ are ea ⁇ ily flexible, a ⁇ has already been ⁇ pecified a ⁇ desirable, the position of the shoe sole ⁇ ides before the wearer puts on the shoe is less important, since the side ⁇ will ea ⁇ ily conform to the ⁇ hape of the wearer' ⁇ foot when the ⁇ hoe i ⁇ put on that foot.
  • the applicant' ⁇ shoe sole inventions de ⁇ cribed in Fig ⁇ . 4, 10 and 11 all attempt to provide structural compensation for actual structural changes in the feet of wearers that have occurred from a lifetime of use of existing ⁇ hoe ⁇ , which have a major flaw that has been identified and described earlier by the applicant.
  • the biomechanical motion of even the wearer's bare feet have been degraded from what they would be if the wearer's feet had not been structurally changed. Consequently, the ultimate design goal of the applicant's inventions is to provide un-degraded barefoot motion.
  • the ultimate goal of the applicant' ⁇ invention is to provide shoe sole ⁇ tructure ⁇ that maintain the natural stability and natural, uninterrupted motion of the foot when bare throughout its normal range of side ⁇ way ⁇ pronation and ⁇ upination motion occurring during all load-bearing pha ⁇ e ⁇ of locomotion of a wearer who has never been shod in conventional shoe ⁇ , including when said wearer is standing, walking, jogging and running, even when the foot is tilted to the extreme limit of that normal range, in contrast to unstable and inflexible con ⁇ ventional shoe soles.
  • Figs. 12-23 are Figs. 1-7 and 11-15, respec- tively, from the '714 application.
  • Fig. 12 show ⁇ in a real illu ⁇ tration a foot 27 in po ⁇ ition for a new biomechanical te ⁇ t that i ⁇ the ba ⁇ is for the discovery that ankle sprains are in fact unnatural for the bare foot.
  • the test simulates a lateral ankle sprain, where the foot 27 - on the ground
  • the Stationary Sprain Simulation Test clearly identifies what can be no les ⁇ than a fundamental flaw in exi ⁇ ting ⁇ hoe de ⁇ ign. It demonstrates conclusively that nature's biomechanical system, the bare foot, is far superior in stability to man's artificial ⁇ hoe de ⁇ ign. Unfortunately, it al ⁇ o demonstrates that the shoe' ⁇ severe in ⁇ tability overpower ⁇ the natural ⁇ tability of the human foot and synthetically creates a combined bio- mechanical ⁇ y ⁇ tem that is artificially unstable. The shoe is the weak link.
  • the ⁇ lipping of the foot within the shoe is caused by the natural tendency of the foot to slide down the typically flat surface of the tilted shoe sole; the more the tilt, the stronger the tendency.
  • the heel is shown in Fig. 13 because of its primary importance in sprains due to its direct physical connection to the ankle liga ⁇ ments that are torn in an ankle ⁇ prain and al ⁇ o because of the heel's predominant role within the foot in bearing body weight.
  • Fig. 14A illustrate ⁇ that the underlying prob ⁇ lem with existing shoe design ⁇ i ⁇ fairly ea ⁇ y to under ⁇ stand by looking closely at the principal forces acting on the physical structure of the shoe sole.
  • the weight of the body held in the shoe upper 21 shifts automatically to the outside edge of the shoe sole 22.
  • the tilted shoe sole 22 provides ab ⁇ o- lutely no supporting physical structure directly under- neath the shifted body weight where it is critically needed to support that weight.
  • the force couple cre ⁇ ates a force moment, commonly called torque, that forces the shoe 20 to rotate to the outside around the sharp corner edge 23 of the bottom ⁇ ole 22, which serves as a stationary pivoting point 23 or center of rotation.
  • torque a force moment
  • the oppo ⁇ ing two forces produce torque, causing the shoe 20 to tilt even more.
  • the torque forcing the rotation becomes even more powerful, so the tilting proce ⁇ s becomes a self-reenforcing cycle. The more the shoe tilts, the more destabilizing torque is produced to fur ⁇ ther increase the tilt.
  • the problem may be easier to understand by looking at the diagram of the force components of body weight shown in Fig. 14A.
  • Fig. 14B show that the full force of body weight 133 is split at 45 degrees of tilt into two equal components: ⁇ upported 135 and unsupported 136, each equal to .707 of full body weight 133.
  • the two vertical compo ⁇ nent ⁇ 137 and 138 of body weight 133 are both equal to .50 of full body weight.
  • the ground reaction force 134 is equal to the vertical component 137 of the supported component 135.
  • Fig. 15 show a summary of the force components at shoe sole tilts of 0, 45 and 90 degrees.
  • the ⁇ ole 22 is providing no structural support and there is no sup ⁇ ported force component 135 of the full body weight 133.
  • the ground reaction force at the pivoting point 23 is zero, since it would move to the upper edge 24 of the shoe sole.
  • Fig. 16 illustrates that the extremely rigid heel counter 141 typical of existing athletic shoes, together with the motion control device 142 that are often used to strongly reinforce those heel counters (and sometimes also the sides of the mid- and forefoot) , are ironically counterproductive. Though they are intended to increase stability, in fact they decrease it. Fig.
  • the motion control support 142 increase ⁇ by almost twice the effective lever arm 132 (compared to 23a) between the force couple of body weight and the ground reaction force at the pivot point 23. It doubles the de ⁇ tabilizing torque and al ⁇ o increases the effective angle of tilt so that the destabilizing force component 136 becomes greater compared to the supported component 135, also increasing the destabilizing torque. To the extent the foot shifts further to the outside, the prob ⁇ lem becomes worse.
  • Fig. 17 shows that the same kind of torsional problem, though to a much more moderate extent, can be produced in the applicant's naturally contoured design of the applicant's earlier filed applications.
  • the outer surface 27 of the foot is in contact with the upper ⁇ urface 30 of the sole 28.
  • it might seem desirable to extend the inner surface 30 of the shoe sole 28 up around the sides of the foot 27 to further support it (especially in creating anthropomorphic designs) Fig.
  • Fig. 18 illu ⁇ trate ⁇ an approach to minimize structurally the destabilizing lever arm 32 and therefore the potential torque problem.
  • the finishing edge of the shoe sole 28 should be tapered gradually inward from both the top surface 30 and the bottom surface 31, in order to provide matching rounded or semi-rounded edges. In that way, the upper surface 30 does not provide an unsupported portion that create ⁇ a de ⁇ tabilizing torque and the bottom ⁇ urface 31 doe ⁇ not provide an unnatural pivoting edge.
  • the gap 144 between ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole 28 and foot ⁇ ole 29 at the edge of the shoe sole can be "caulked" with exceptionally soft sole mate- rial as indicated in Fig.
  • Fig. 19 illu ⁇ trate ⁇ a fully contoured de ⁇ ign, but abbreviated along the sides to only essential struc ⁇ tural ⁇ tability and propulsion shoe sole elements as shown in Fig. 21 of United States Patent Application 07/239,667 (filed 02 September 1988) combined with the freely articulating structural elements underneath the foot as shown in Fig. 28 of the same patent application.
  • the unifying concept is that, on both the sides and underneath the main load-bearing portions of the shoe sole, only the important structural (i.e.
  • the foot sole should be composed of the same main structural elements as the foot and they should articu ⁇ late with each other just as do the main joint ⁇ of the foot.
  • Fig. 19E Show ⁇ the horizontal plane bottom view of the right foot corre ⁇ ponding to the fully contoured design previously described, but abbreviated along the sides to only essential structural support and propulsion elements.
  • Shoe sole material density can be increased in the unabbreviated e ⁇ sential elements to compensate for increased pre ⁇ ure loading there.
  • the e ⁇ ential ⁇ truc ⁇ tural support elements are the base and lateral tuberos ⁇ ity of the calcaneus 95, the heads of the metatarsals 96, and the ba ⁇ e of the fifth metatar ⁇ al 97 (and the adjoin ⁇ ing cuboid in some individuals) . They must be supported both underneath and to the outside edge of the foot for stability.
  • the essential propulsion element is the head of the first distal phalange 98.
  • Fig. 19 shows that the naturally contoured stability ⁇ ide ⁇ need not be u ⁇ ed except in the identified essential areas. Weight savings and flexibility improvements can be made by omitting the non-es ⁇ ential stability side ⁇ .
  • the design of the portion of the shoe sole directly underneath the foot shown in Fig. 19 allows for unobstructed natural inversion/eversion motion of the calcaneus by providing maximum shoe sole flexibility particularly between the base of the calcaneus 125 (heel) and the metatarsal heads 126 (forefoot) along an axis 120.
  • An unnatural torsion occurs about that axis if flexibility is in ⁇ ufficient so that a conventional shoe sole interferes with the inversion/eversion motion by restraining it.
  • the object of the design is to allow the relatively more mobile (in inver ⁇ ion and ever ⁇ ion) calca ⁇ neus to articulate freely and independently from the relatively more fixed forefoot instead of the fixed or fused structure or lack of stable structure between the two in conventional designs.
  • freely articu ⁇ lating joints are created in the shoe sole that parallel those of the foot.
  • the design is to remove nearly all of the shoe sole material between the heel and the forefoot, except under one of the previously described essential structural support elements, the base of the fifth meta ⁇ tarsal 97.
  • An optional support for the main longitudinal arch 121 may also be retained for runners with sub ⁇ tan- tial foot pronation, although would not be nece ⁇ sary for many runners.
  • the forefoot can be subdivided (not shown) into its component essential structural support and propulsion elements, the individual heads of the metatarsal and the heads of the di ⁇ tal phalange ⁇ , so that each major articu ⁇ lating joint set of the foot is paralleled by a freely articulating shoe sole support propulsion element, an anthropomorphic design; various aggregations of the sub ⁇ division are also possible.
  • the design in Fig. 19 features an enlarged structural support at the base of the fifth metatar ⁇ al in order to include the cuboid, which can al ⁇ o come into contact with the ground under arch compression in some individuals.
  • the design can provide general side support in the heel area, as in Fig. 19E or alterna ⁇ tively can carefully orient the stability sides in the heel area to the exact position ⁇ of the lateral calcaneal tubero ⁇ ity 108 and the main ba ⁇ e of the calcaneu ⁇ 109, as in Fig. 19E' (showing heel area only of the right foot) .
  • Figs. 19A-D show frontal plane cross sections of the left shoe and Fig.
  • FIG. 19E shows a bottom view of the right foot, with flexibility axes 120, 122, 111, 112 and 113 indi ⁇ cated.
  • Fig. 19F show ⁇ a sagittal plane cross section showing the structural elements joined by very thin and relatively soft upper midsole layer.
  • Figs. 19G and 19H show similar cros ⁇ ⁇ ection ⁇ with ⁇ lightly different designs featuring durable fabric only (slip-la ⁇ ted ⁇ hoe) , or a ⁇ tructurally sound arch design, respectively.
  • Fig. 191 shows a side medial view of the shoe sole.
  • 19J shows a ⁇ imple interim or low cost construction for the articulating shoe sole support ele ⁇ ment 95 for the heel (showing the heel area only of the right foot) ; while it is most critical and effective for the heel support element 95, it can also be used with the other element ⁇ , ⁇ uch as the base of the fifth metatarsal 97 and the long arch 121.
  • the heel sole element 95 shown can be a single flexible layer or a lamination of layers. When cut from a flat sheet or molded in the general pat ⁇ tern shown, the outer edges can be easily bent to follow the contours of the foot, particularly the sides.
  • the shape ⁇ hown allow ⁇ a flat or ⁇ lightly contoured heel element 95 to be attached to a highly contoured ⁇ hoe upper or very thin upper sole layer like that shown in Fig. 19F.
  • a very simple construction technique can yield a highly sophi ⁇ ticated ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole de ⁇ ign.
  • the ⁇ ize of the center section 119 can be small to conform to a fully or nearly fully contoured design or larger to con ⁇ form to a contoured sides design, where there is a large flattened sole area under the heel.
  • the flexibility is provided by the removed diagonal sections, the exact proportion of size and shape can vary.
  • Fig. 20 illustrates an expanded explanation of the correct approach for measuring shoe sole thicknes ⁇ according to the naturally contoured de ⁇ ign, as described previously in Figs. 23 and 24 of United States Patent Application 07/239,667 (filed 02 September 1988).
  • the tangent described in those figures would be parallel to the ground when the shoe sole i ⁇ tilted out sideways, so that measuring shoe sole thicknes ⁇ along the perpendicu ⁇ lar will provide the least distance between the point on the upper shoe sole surface close ⁇ t to the ground and the closest point to it on the lower surface of the shoe sole (assuming no load deformation) .
  • Fig. 21 shows a non-optimal but interim or low cost approach to shoe sole construction, whereby the mid ⁇ sole and heel lift 127 are produced conventionally, or nearly so (at least leaving the midsole bottom surface flat, though the sides can be contoured) , while the bot ⁇ tom or outer sole 128 includes most or all of the special contour ⁇ of the new de ⁇ ign.
  • the bot ⁇ tom or outer sole 128 includes most or all of the special contour ⁇ of the new de ⁇ ign.
  • com ⁇ pletely or mostly limit the ⁇ pecial contours to the bot ⁇ tom sole, which would be molded specially, it would also ease a ⁇ embly, ⁇ ince two flat surfaces of the bottom of the midsole and the top of the bottom ⁇ ole could be mated together with le ⁇ difficulty than two contoured sur ⁇ faces, as would be the ca ⁇ e otherwi ⁇ e.
  • Fig. 21A shows in a quadrant side design the concept applied to conventional street shoe heels, which are usually separated from the forefoot by a hollow instep area under the main longitudinal arch.
  • Fig. 21C shows in frontal plane cros ⁇ section the concept applied to the quadrant sided or single plane design and indicating in Fig.
  • Fig. 2IE in the shaded area 129 of the bot ⁇ tom sole that portion which should be honeycombed (axis on the horizontal plane) to reduce the density of the relatively hard outer sole to that of the mid ⁇ ole raate- rial to provide for relatively uniform shoe density.
  • Fig. 2IE show ⁇ in bottom view the outline of a bottom ⁇ ole 128 made from flat material which can be conformed topologically to a contoured midsole of either the one or two plane de ⁇ ign ⁇ by limiting the side areas to be mated to the essential support areas discus ⁇ ed in Fig.
  • the contoured mid ⁇ ⁇ ole and flat bottom sole surfaces can be made to join sati ⁇ factorily by coinciding clo ⁇ ely, which would be topologically impo ⁇ sible if all of the side areas were retained on the bottom sole.
  • Figs. 22A-22C frontal plane cross sections, show an enhancement to the previously described embodi- ment ⁇ of the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole side stability quadrant invention of the '349 Patent.
  • one major purpose of that design is to allow the shoe sole to pivot easily from ⁇ ide to ⁇ ide with the foot 90, thereby following the foot' ⁇ natural inversion and eversion motion; in conven- tional design ⁇ shown in Fig. 22a, such foot motion is forced to occur within the shoe upper 21, which resists the motion.
  • the enhancement is to position exactly and stabilize the foot, e ⁇ pecially the heel, relative to the preferred embodiment of the ⁇ hoe sole; doing so facili- tates the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole' ⁇ re ⁇ pon ⁇ ivene ⁇ in following the foot's natural motion.
  • Correct positioning is essential to the invention, especially when the very narrow or "hard tis ⁇ ue" definition of heel width i ⁇ u ⁇ ed. Incor ⁇ rect or shifting relative position will reduce the inher- ent efficiency and stability of the side quadrant design, by reducing the effective thickness of the quadrant side 26 to less than that of the shoe sole 28b. A ⁇ shown in Fig.
  • the form of the enhancement is inner shoe sole stability side ⁇ 131 that follow the natural contour of the sides 91 of the heel of the foot 90, thereby cupping the heel of the foot.
  • the inner stability side ⁇ 131 can be located directly on the top surface of the shoe sole and heel contour, or directly under the shoe insole (or integral to it) , or somewhere in between.
  • the inner stability sides are similar in structure to heel cups integrated in insoles currently in common use, but differ because of its material density, which can be relatively firm like the typical mid-sole, not soft like the insole.
  • insole ⁇ ⁇ hould be con ⁇ idered structurally and functionally as part of the shoe sole, as should any shoe material between foot and ground, like the bottom of the shoe upper in a slip- lasted shoe or the board in a board-lasted shoe.
  • the inner stability side enhancement is parti- cularly useful in converting exi ⁇ ting conventional ⁇ hoe sole design embodiments 22, as constructed within prior art, to an effective embodiment of the side stability quadrant 26 invention. This feature is important in constructing prototypes and initial production of the invention, as well as an ongoing method of low cost pro ⁇ duction, since such production would be very close to existing art.
  • the inner stability sides enhancement is most essential in cupping the sides and back of the heel of the foot and therefore is essential on the upper edge of the heel of the shoe ⁇ ole 27, but may al ⁇ o be extended around all or any portion of the remaining shoe sole upper edge.
  • Figs. 23A-23C frontal plane cross section ⁇ , illustrate the same inner shoe sole stability sides enhancement as it applies to the previously described embodiments of the naturally contoured side ⁇ '667 appli ⁇ cation de ⁇ ign.
  • the enhancement po ⁇ itions and stabilizes the foot relative to the shoe sole, and maintains the constant shoe sole thickness (s) of the naturally con- toured ⁇ ide ⁇ 28a design, as shown in Figs. 23B and 23C;
  • Fig. 23A shows a conventional design.
  • the inner shoe sole stability side ⁇ 131 conform to the natural contour of the foot sides 29, which determine the theoretically ideal stability plane 51 for the shoe ⁇ ole thickne ⁇ s (s) .
  • Figs. 24-34 are Figs. 1-3, 6-9, 11-12, and 14- 15, re ⁇ pectively, from the '478 application.
  • Fig ⁇ . 24, 25, and 26 show frontal plane cross sectional views of a ⁇ hoe sole according to the appli ⁇ cant's prior inventions based on the theoretically ideal stability plane, taken at about the ankle joint to show the heel ⁇ ection of the shoe.
  • Figs. 4, 5, 8, and 27-32 show the same view of the applicant's enhancement of that invention.
  • the reference numerals are like those u ⁇ ed in the prior pending application ⁇ of the applicant mentioned above and which are incorporated by reference for the sake of completeness of disclosure, if nece ⁇ ary.
  • Fig. 24 hows, in a rear cross sectional view, the application of the prior invention showing the inner surface of the shoe sole conforming to the natural con ⁇ tour of the foot and the thickness of the shoe sole remaining constant in the frontal plane, so that the outer surface coincides with the theoretically ideal sta- bility plane.
  • Fig. 25 shows a fully contoured shoe sole design of the applicant' ⁇ prior invention that follow ⁇ the natural contour of all of the foot, the bottom a ⁇ well as the side ⁇ , while retaining a con ⁇ tant ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole thickne ⁇ s in the frontal plane.
  • ⁇ hoe sole assumes that the resulting slightly rounded bottom when unloaded will deform under load and flatten just as the human foot bot ⁇ tom i ⁇ ⁇ lightly rounded unloaded but flatten ⁇ under load; therefore, ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole material mu ⁇ t be of such composition as to allow the natural deformation following that of the foot.
  • the design applies particularly to the heel, but to the rest of the shoe sole as well.
  • the fully contoured design allows the foot to function as naturally as possible. Under load, Fig. 2 would deform by flatten ⁇ ing to look es ⁇ entially like Fig. 24. Seen in this light, the naturally contoured side design in Fig.
  • Figs. 24 and 25 both show in frontal plane cross section ⁇ the e ⁇ sential concept underlying this invention, the theoretically ideal stability plane, which is also theoretically ideal for efficient natural motion of all kinds, including running, jogging or walking.
  • Fig. 25 show ⁇ the mo ⁇ t general ca ⁇ e of the invention, the fully contoured de ⁇ ign, which conform ⁇ to the natural shape of the unloaded foot.
  • the theoretically ideal stability plane 51 is determined, first, by the desired shoe sole thickness(es) in a fron ⁇ tal plane cross section, and, second, by the natural ⁇ hape of the individual' ⁇ foot ⁇ urface 29.
  • the ⁇ pecial ca ⁇ e ⁇ hown in Fig.
  • the theoretically ideal ⁇ tability plane for any particular individual is deter ⁇ mined, first, by the given frontal plane cross section shoe sole thickne ⁇ (e ⁇ ) ; ⁇ econd, by the natural ⁇ hape of the individual' ⁇ foot; and, third, by the frontal plane cro ⁇ s section width of the individual's load-bearing footprint 30b, which is defined as the upper surface of the shoe sole that is in physical contact with and sup ⁇ port ⁇ the human foot sole.
  • the theoretically ideal stability plane for the ⁇ pecial ca ⁇ e i ⁇ composed conceptually of two parts. Shown in Fig.
  • the first part is a line segment 31b of equal length and parallel to line 30b at a constant dis ⁇ tance(s) equal to shoe ⁇ ole thickne ⁇ .
  • Thi ⁇ corresponds to a conventional shoe sole directly underneath the human foot, and also corresponds to the flattened portion of the bottom of the load-bearing foot sole 28b.
  • the second part i ⁇ the naturally contoured ⁇ tability ⁇ ide outer edge 31a located at each ⁇ ide of the fir ⁇ t part, line segment 31b.
  • Each point on the contoured side outer edge 31a is located at a distance which is exactly shoe sole thick ⁇ ness(es) from the closest point on the contoured side inner edge 30a.
  • the theoretically ideal stability plane is the es ⁇ ence of thi ⁇ invention because it is used to determine a geometrically precise bottom contour of the shoe sole based on a top contour that conforms to the contour of the foot.
  • This invention ⁇ pecifically claim ⁇ the exactly determined geometric relation ⁇ hip ju ⁇ t de ⁇ cribed.
  • Fig. 26 illu ⁇ trates in frontal plane cross sec ⁇ tion another variation of the applicant's prior invention that uses stabilizing quadrant ⁇ 26 at the outer edge of a conventional ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole 28b illustrated generally at the reference numeral 28.
  • the stabilizing quadrant ⁇ would be abbreviated in actual embodiments.
  • Fig. 28 show ⁇ that the thickne ⁇ can al ⁇ o increa ⁇ e and then decrea ⁇ e; other thickne ⁇ s variation ⁇ equence ⁇ are al ⁇ o po ⁇ ible.
  • the variation in side con ⁇ tour thicknes ⁇ in the new invention can be either ⁇ ymme- trical on both ⁇ ide ⁇ or a ⁇ ymmetrical, particularly with the medial ⁇ ide providing more stability than the lateral side, although many other a ⁇ ymmetrical variations are possible, and the pattern of the right foot can vary from that of the left foot.
  • the applicant' ⁇ prior invention did not prefer multi-densi ⁇ ties in the midsole, since only a uniform density pro ⁇ vides a neutral ⁇ hoe sole design that does not interfere with natural foot and ankle biomechanics in the way that multi-density shoe soles do, which is by providing dif ⁇ ferent amounts of support to different parts of the foot; it did not, of course, preclude such multi-density mid- soles.
  • the density of the sole mater- iai designated by the legend (dl) is firmer than (d) while (d2) is the firmest of the three representative densitie ⁇ ⁇ hown.
  • a dual den ⁇ ity ⁇ ole is shown, with (d) having the less firm density.
  • Fig. 33A shows an embodiment like Figs. 4 and 28, but with naturally contoured sides less than the theoretically ideal stability plane.
  • Fig. 33B shows an embodiment like the fully contoured design in Figs. 5 and 6, but with a ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole thickness decreasing with increa ⁇ - ing distance from the center portion of the sole.
  • Fig. 33C show ⁇ an embodiment like the quadrant-sided design of Fig. 31, but with the quadrant side ⁇ increa ⁇ ingly reduced from the theoretically ideal ⁇ tability plane.
  • the lesser-sided design of Fig. 33 would also apply to the Figs. 29, 30, 6 and 32 density variation approach and to the Fig. 8 approach using tread design to approximate density variation.
  • Fig. 34 A-C show, in cros ⁇ sections similar to those in pending U.S. Patent '349, that with the quad ⁇ rant-sided design of Figs. 26, 31, 32 and 33C that it is possible to have shoe sole sides that are both greater and lesser than the theoretically ideal stability plane in the same shoe.
  • the radiu ⁇ of an intermediate shoe sole thicknes ⁇ , taken at (S 2 ) at the ba ⁇ e of the fifth metatarsal in Fig. 34B, is maintained con ⁇ tant throughout the quadrant ⁇ ide ⁇ of the shoe sole, including both the heel, Fig. 34C, and the forefoot, Fig. 34A, so that the side thicknes ⁇ is less than the theoretically ideal sta- bility plane at the heel and more at the forefoot.
  • thi ⁇ is not a preferred approach.
  • the same approach can be applied to the naturally contoured side ⁇ or fully contoured de ⁇ ign ⁇ de ⁇ cribed in Figs. 24, 25, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 27-30, but it is also not preferred.
  • Figs. 34 D-F in cro ⁇ ⁇ ection ⁇ ⁇ imilar to tho ⁇ e in pending U.S. application No. 07/239,667, it i ⁇ po ⁇ sible to have shoe sole side ⁇ that are both greater and lesser than the theoretically ideal stability plane in the same shoe, like Figs.
  • Figs. 35-44 are Figs. 1-10 from the '302 appli ⁇ cation.
  • Fig. 35 shows a perspective view of a shoe, such as a typical athletic shoe specifically for running, according to the prior art, wherein the running shoe 20 include ⁇ an upper portion 21 and a ⁇ ole 22.
  • the problem is that the remaining shoe upper 21 ( ⁇ hown in the thickened and darkened line) , while providing no lever arm exten ⁇ ion, since it is flexible in ⁇ tead of rigid, nonethele ⁇ create ⁇ unnatural de ⁇ tabilizing torque on the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole.
  • the torque is due to the tension force 155a along the top surface of the shoe sole 22 cau ⁇ ed by a compre ⁇ ion force 150 (a compo ⁇ ite of the force of gravity on the body and a ⁇ ideway ⁇ motion force) to the ⁇ ide by the foot 27, due ⁇ imply to the ⁇ hoe being tilted to the ⁇ ide, for example.
  • the compres ⁇ ion force 150 also cre ⁇ ates a tension force 155b, which i ⁇ the mirror image of tension force 155a Fig. 37 shows, in a close-up cros ⁇ ⁇ ection of a naturally contoured design shoe sole 28, described in pending U.S. application No.
  • Fig. 38 shows (in a rear view) that, in con ⁇ trast, the barefoot is naturally ⁇ table because, when deformed by body weight and tilted to its natural lateral limit of about 20 degrees, it does not create any desta ⁇ bilizing torque due to tension force. Even though ten ⁇ sion paralleling that on the shoe upper is created on the outer surface 29, both bottom and sides, of the bare foot by the compression force of weight-bearing, no destabil ⁇ izing torque is created because the lower ⁇ urface under tension (i.e. the foot's bottom sole, shown in the dark ⁇ ened line) is re ⁇ ting directly in contact with the ground. Con ⁇ equently, there is no unnatural lever arm artificially created against which to pull.
  • the weight of the body firmly anchors the outer surface of the foot underneath the foot so that even considerable pressure against the outer ⁇ urface 29 of the side of the foot results in no destabilizing motion.
  • the supporting ⁇ tructure ⁇ of the foot like the calcaneu ⁇ , ⁇ lide against the side of the strong but flex ⁇ ible outer surface of the foot and create very sub ⁇ tan- tial pre ⁇ sure on that outer surface at the ⁇ ides of the foot. But that pres ⁇ ure is precisely resisted and bal- anced by tension along the outer surface of the foot, resulting in a stable equilibrium.
  • Fig. 39 shows, in cros ⁇ section of the upright heel deformed by body weight, the principle of the ten- ⁇ ion stabilized sides of the barefoot applied to the naturally contoured shoe sole design; the same principle can be applied to conventional shoe ⁇ , but is not shown.
  • the key change from the existing art of shoes is that the sides of the shoe upper 21 (shown as darkened lines) must wrap around the outside edges 32 of the shoe sole 28, instead of attaching underneath the foot to the upper surface 30 of the shoe sole, as done conventionally.
  • the shoe upper sides can overlap and be attached to either the inner (shown on the left) or outer surface (shown on the right) of the bottom sole, since those sides are not unusually load-bearing, as shown; or the bottom sole, optimally thin and tapering as shown, can extend upward around the outside edges 32 of the shoe sole to overlap and attach to the ⁇ hoe upper sides ( ⁇ hown Fig. 39B) ; their optimal po ⁇ ition coincide ⁇ with the Theoretically Ideal Stability Plane, ⁇ o that the tension force on the shoe ⁇ ide ⁇ i ⁇ tran ⁇ mitted directly all the way down to the bottom shoe, which anchors it on the ground with virtually no intervening artificial lever arm.
  • the attachment of the shoe upper side ⁇ ⁇ hould be at or near the lower or bottom ⁇ urface of the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole.
  • the de ⁇ ign shown in Fig. 39 is ba ⁇ ed on a fun- damentally different conception: that the ⁇ hoe upper i ⁇ integrated into the shoe sole, instead of attached on top of it, and the shoe sole is treated as a natural exten ⁇ sion of the foot sole, not attached to it separately.
  • the fabric (or other flexible material, like leather) of the shoe uppers would preferably be non- stretch or relatively so, ⁇ o a ⁇ not to be deformed exces ⁇ sively by the tension place upon its ⁇ ide ⁇ when com ⁇ pres ⁇ ed a ⁇ the foot and ⁇ hoe tilt.
  • the fabric can be reinforced in area ⁇ of particularly high ten ⁇ ion, like the e ⁇ ential ⁇ tructural ⁇ upport and propul ⁇ ion element ⁇ defined in the applicant's earlier applications (the ba ⁇ e and lateral tubero ⁇ ity of the calcaneus, the base of the fifth metatar ⁇ al, the head ⁇ of the metatarsals, and the fir ⁇ t distal phalange; the reinforcement can take many forms, such as like that of corners of the jib sail of a racing sailboat or more simple straps. As closely a ⁇ possible, it should have the same performance character- istic ⁇ a ⁇ the heavily callou ⁇ ed ⁇ kin of the sole of an habitually bare foot.
  • the relative density of the shoe sole is preferred as indicated in Fig. 9 of pending U.S. application No. 07/400,714, filed on August 30, 1989, with the ⁇ ofte ⁇ t density nearest the foot sole, so that the conforming sides of the shoe sole do not provide a rigid destabilizing lever arm.
  • FIG. 40 which shows a close-up cross section of a naturally contoured design shoe ⁇ ole 28 (undeformed by body weight) when tilted to the edge.
  • the same destabilizing force against the side of the shoe shown in Fig. 36 is now stably resisted by offsetting tension in the surface of the shoe upper 21 extended down the side of the shoe sole so that it i ⁇ anchored by the weight of the body when the shoe and foot are tilted.
  • the shoe uppers may be joined or bonded only to the bottom sole, not the midsole, so that pres ⁇ sure shown on the side of the shoe upper produces side tension only and not the de ⁇ tabilizing torque from pull- ing ⁇ imilar to that de ⁇ cribed in Fig.
  • the bottom ⁇ ole i ⁇ preferably thin, at least on the stability sides, so that its attachment overlap with the shoe upper sides coincide as clo ⁇ e as possible to the Theoretically Ideal Stability Plane, so that force is transmitted on the outer shoe sole surface to the ground.
  • the Fig. 39 design is for a shoe construction, including: a shoe upper that is composed of material that is flexible and relatively inelastic at least where the shoe upper contacts the areas of the structural bone elements of the human foot, and a shoe sole that has relatively flexible side ⁇ ; and at least a portion of the side ⁇ of the shoe upper being attached directly to the bottom ⁇ ole, while enveloping on the outside the other sole portions of said shoe sole.
  • This construction can either be applied to convention shoe sole structure ⁇ or to the applicant' ⁇ prior ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole invention ⁇ , ⁇ uch a ⁇ the naturally contoured shoe sole conforming to the theoretically ideal stability plane.
  • Figs. 42A-42D show the natural cushioning of the human barefoot, in cros ⁇ sections at the heel.
  • Fig. 42A show ⁇ the bare heel upright and unloaded, with little pre ⁇ ure on the ⁇ ubcalcaneal fat pad 158, which i ⁇ evenly di ⁇ tributed between the calcaneu ⁇ 159, which i ⁇ the heel bone, and the bottom ⁇ ole 160 of the foot.
  • Fig. 42B ⁇ hows the bare heel upright but under the moderate pre ⁇ ure of full body weight.
  • the compre ⁇ ⁇ ion of the calcaneus against the subcalcaneal fat pad produces evenly balanced pressure within the subcalcaneal fat pad because it is contained and ⁇ urrounded by a rela ⁇ tively un ⁇ tretchable fibrou ⁇ capsule, the bottom sole of the foot. Underneath the foot, where the bottom sole is in direct contact with the ground, the pressure caused by the calcaneus on the compre ⁇ ed ⁇ ubcalcaneal fat pad i ⁇ transmitted directly to the ground. Simultaneously, sub- ⁇ tantial ten ⁇ ion is created on the side ⁇ of the bottom ⁇ ole of the foot becau ⁇ e of the surrounding relatively tough fibrous capsule. That combination of bottom pres- ⁇ ure and side tension is the foot's natural shock absorp ⁇ tion sy ⁇ tem for ⁇ upport structures like the calcaneus and the other bones of the foot that come in contact with the ground.
  • this sy ⁇ tem allows the relatively narrow base of the calcaneus to pivot from side to ⁇ ide freely in normal pronation/ supination motion, without any obstructing tor ⁇ ion on it, de ⁇ pite the very much greater width of compre ⁇ sed foot sole providing protection and cushioning; this is cru ⁇ cially important in maintaining natural alignment of joints above the ankle joint such as the knee, hip and back, particularly in the horizontal plane, so that the entire body is properly adjusted to absorb shock cor ⁇ rectly.
  • Fig ⁇ 43A-D show Figs. 9B-D of the '302 applica ⁇ tion, in addition to Fig. 9 of thi ⁇ application.
  • FIG. 44A and 44C are perspective view ⁇ of cro ⁇ sections of the human heel showing the matrix of elastic fibrous connec ⁇ tive tis ⁇ ue arranged into chamber ⁇ 164 holding clo ⁇ ely packed fat cell ⁇ ; the chambers are structured as whorls radiating out from the calcaneus. These fibrou ⁇ -ti ⁇ ue ⁇ trand ⁇ are firmly attached to the under ⁇ urface of the calcaneus and extend to the subcutaneous tissues.
  • the lower ⁇ urface 165 of the upper mid ⁇ ole 147 would corre- spond to the outer surface 167 of the calcaneus 159 and would be the origin of the U shaped whorl chambers 164 noted above.
  • Fig. 44B show ⁇ a close-up of the interior structure of the large chambers shown in Fig. 44A and 44C. It is clear from the fine interior structure and compre ⁇ sion characteristics of the mini-chambers 165 that those directly under the calcaneu ⁇ become very hard quite ea ⁇ ily, due to the high local pre ⁇ sure on them and the limited degree of their elasticity, so they are able to provide very firm support to the calcaneus or other bones of the foot sole; by being fairly inelastic, the compre ⁇ sion forces on those compartment ⁇ are dissipated to other areas of the network of fat pads under any given support structure of the foot, like the calcaneus.
  • a cushioning compartment 161 such as the compartment under the heel shown in Fig ⁇ . 9 & 43, i ⁇ ⁇ ubdivided into ⁇ maller chambers, like those shown in Fig. 44, then actual contact between the upper surface 165 and the lower surface 166 would no longer be required to provide firm support, so long as those compartments and the pre ⁇ - ⁇ ure-tran ⁇ mitting medium contained in them have material characteristics ⁇ imilar to tho ⁇ e of the foot, as described above; the use of gas may not be ⁇ atisfactory in this approach, since its compressibility may not allow adequate firmness.
  • the Fig. 44 design show ⁇ a ⁇ hoe con ⁇ truction including: a shoe sole with a compartments under the structural elements of the human foot, includ- ing at least the heel; the compartments containing a pressure-transmitting medium like liquid, gas, or gel; the compartments having a whorled structure like that of the fat pads of the human foot sole;load-bearing pre ⁇ ure being tran ⁇ mitted progre ⁇ ively at lea ⁇ t in part to the relatively inela ⁇ tic ⁇ ides, top and bottom of the ⁇ hoe sole compartments, producing tension therein; the elas ⁇ ticity of the material of the compartment ⁇ and the pre ⁇ - ⁇ ure-tran ⁇ mitting medium are such that normal weight- bearing loads produce sufficient tension within the structure of the compartments to provide adequate struc ⁇ tural rigidity to allow firm natural support to the foot structural elements, like that provided the barefoot by its fat pads.
  • That shoe sole construction can have shoe sole compartments that are subdivided into micro chambers like those of
  • sock ⁇ could be produced to ⁇ erve the same function, with the area of the sock that corresponds to the foot bottom sole (and side ⁇ of the bottom ⁇ ole) made of a material coar ⁇ e enough to ⁇ timulate the produc ⁇ tion of callou ⁇ e ⁇ on the bottom sole of the foot, with different grades of coarseness available, from fine to coarse, corresponding to feet from ⁇ oft to naturally tough.
  • U ⁇ ing a tube ⁇ ock design with uniform coarsene ⁇ , rather than conventional ⁇ ock design as ⁇ umed above, would allow the user to rotate the sock on his foot to elimi ⁇ nate any "hot ⁇ pot" irritation points that might develop.
  • ⁇ ince the toe ⁇ are mo ⁇ t prone to bli ⁇ termg and the heel is most important in shock absorption, the toe area of the sock could be relatively less abrasive than the heel area.
  • Fig. 45 i ⁇ new in the continuation-in-part application, but i ⁇ similar to Fig. 4 from the appli ⁇ cant's copending U.S. Patent Application No. 07/416,478, filed October 3, 1989, and described above.
  • Fig. 45A illustrate ⁇ , in frontal or tran ⁇ ver ⁇ e plane cro ⁇ s section in the heel area, the applicant's new invention of shoe sole side thickness increasing beyond the theoretically ideal stability plane to increase stability somewhat beyond its natural level. The unavoidable trade-off resulting is that natural motion would be restricted somewhat and the weight of the shoe sole would increase somewhat.
  • the right ⁇ ide of Fig. 45A ⁇ how ⁇ roughly a 50 percent thickne ⁇ increa ⁇ e over the theoretically ideal stability plane 51 and the left ⁇ ide shows roughly a 100 percent increase.
  • Fig. 45B show ⁇ the same modification ⁇ to a forefoot ⁇ ection of the ⁇ hoe sole, where such extreme thickness variations are considered more practical and effective.
  • Fig. 45 show ⁇ a ⁇ ituation wherein the thickne ⁇ of the sole at each of the opposed sides is thicker at the portions of the sole 31a by a thickness which gradu ⁇ ally varies continuously from a thickness (s) through a thickness (s+sl) , to a thicknes ⁇ ( ⁇ +s2) .
  • one of the mo ⁇ t common of the abnormal effect ⁇ of the inherent existing flaw is a weakening of the long arch of the foot, increasing pronation.
  • These designs therefore modify the applicant's preceding design ⁇ to provide greater than natural ⁇ tability and ⁇ hould be particularly u ⁇ eful to individual ⁇ , generally with low arche ⁇ , prone to pronate exce ⁇ sively, and could be used only on the medial side.
  • individuals with high arches and a tendency to over supinate and lateral ankle sprains would also benefit, and the design could be used only on the lateral side.
  • a shoe for the general population that compen ⁇ ates for both weaknesses in the same shoe would incorporate the enhanced stability of the design compensation on both sides.
  • Fig. 45 (like Figs. 1 and 2 of the '478 application) allows the shoe sole to deform naturally closely paralleling the natural deformation of the barefoot under load; in addition, shoe sole material must be of such composition as to allow the natural deformation following that of the foot.
  • the new designs retain the es ⁇ ential novel a ⁇ pect of the earlier designs; namely, contouring the shape of the shoe sole to the ⁇ hape of the human foot.
  • the difference i ⁇ that the shoe sole thicknes ⁇ in the frontal plane is allowed to vary rather than remain uni ⁇ formly constant.
  • Fig. 45 and Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 11 of the '478 application) show, in frontal plane cros ⁇ ⁇ ection ⁇ at the heel, that the ⁇ hoe sole thickness can increase beyond the theoretically ideal stability plane 51, in order to provide greater than natural stability.
  • Such variations can be con ⁇ istent through all frontal plane cros ⁇ sections, so that there are proportionately equal increases to the theoretically ideal stability plane 51 from the front of the shoe sole to the back, or that the thickne ⁇ can vary, preferably continuously, from one frontal plane to the next.
  • the applicant's Fig. 4 and this new Fig. 45 invention are the structure of a conventional shoe sole that has been modified by having it ⁇ ⁇ ide ⁇ bent up ⁇ o that their inner surface conforms to a shape of the outer surface of the foot sole of the wearer (instead of the shoe sole side ⁇ conforming to the ground by paralleling it, a ⁇ i ⁇ conventional) ; thi ⁇ con ⁇ cept i ⁇ like that described in Fig. 3 of the applicant's 07/239,667 application.
  • the total shoe sole thickness of the contoured side por- tions, including every layer or portion, is much les ⁇ than the total thickne ⁇ s of the sole portion directly underneath the foot, wherea ⁇ in the applicant' ⁇ '478 ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole invention the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole thickne ⁇ of the contoured side portions are at least similar to the thickne ⁇ of the ⁇ ole portion directly underneath the foot, meaning a thickne ⁇ variation of up to 25 percent, as measured in frontal or transverse plane cross sections.
  • New Fig. 45 of thi ⁇ continuation-in-part appli ⁇ cation explicitly define ⁇ tho ⁇ e thickness variations, as measured in frontal or transverse plane cros ⁇ sections, of the applicant's ⁇ hoe soles from 26 percent up to 50 percent, which di ⁇ tingui ⁇ he ⁇ over all known prior art.
  • Fig. 45 invention can be u ⁇ ed at any one, or combination including all, of the e ⁇ ential structural support and propulsion elements defined in the '819 Patent. Those elements are the base and lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus, the heads of the metatarsals, and the ba ⁇ e of the fifth metatar ⁇ al, and the head of the first distal phalange, respectively. Of the metatarsal heads, only the first and fifth metatarsal heads are proximate to the contoured shoe sole sides.
  • the applicant's shoe sole inven ⁇ tion maintains the natural stability and natural, unin ⁇ terrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare through ⁇ out its normal range of sideway ⁇ pronation and ⁇ upination motion occurring during all load-bearing phases of loco ⁇ motion of the wearer, including when the wearer is stand ⁇ ing, walking, jogging and running, even when said foot i ⁇ tilted to the extreme limit of that normal range, in con- tra ⁇ t to unstable and inflexible conventional shoe soles, including the partially contoured existing art described above.
  • the side ⁇ of the applicant' ⁇ shoe ⁇ ole invention extend sufficiently far up the sides of the wearer's foot sole to maintain the natural stability and uninterrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare.
  • the exact thick- nes ⁇ of the shoe sole side ⁇ and their specific contour will be determined empirically for individuals and groups using standard biomechanical techniques of gait analysi ⁇ to determine tho ⁇ e combination ⁇ that be ⁇ t provide the barefoot stability described above.
  • the amount of any shoe sole side portions coplanar with the theo- retically ideal stability plane is determined by the degree of shoe sole stability desired and the shoe ⁇ ole weight and bulk required to provide ⁇ aid ⁇ tability; the amount of ⁇ aid coplanar contoured sides that is provided said shoe sole being sufficient to maintain intact the firm stability of the wearer's foot throughout the range of foot inversion and eversion motion typical of the use for which the shoe i ⁇ intended and also typical of the kind of wearer — such as normal or excessive pronator — for which said ⁇ hoe i ⁇ intended.
  • the applicant' ⁇ preferred ⁇ hoe sole embodiments include the ⁇ tructural and material flexibil ⁇ ity to deform in parallel to the natural deformation of the wearer's foot sole as if it were bare and unaffected by any of the abnormal foot biomechanics created by rigid conventional shoe sole.
  • the applicant's preferred shoe ⁇ ole embodiment ⁇ are ⁇ ufficiently firm to provide the wearer' ⁇ foot with the ⁇ tructural support neces ⁇ ary to maintain normal pronation and ⁇ upination, as if the wearer's foot were bare; in contrast, the excessive soft ⁇ ness of many of the shoe sole materials used in shoe soles in the existing art cause abnormal foot pronation and supination.
  • the applicant has previously shown heel lifts with constant frontal or transverse plane thickness, since it is ori ⁇ ented conventionally in alignment with the frontal or transverse plane and perpendicular to the long axis of the shoe sole.
  • the heel wedge or toe taper or other shoe sole thicknes ⁇ variation ⁇ in the sagittal plane along the long axis of the shoe sole
  • the heel wedge can be located per ⁇ pendicular to the subtalar axis, which is located in the heel area generally about 20 to 25 degrees medially, although a different angle can be used base on individual or group testing; such a orientation may provide better, more natural support to the subtalar joint, through which critical pronation and supination motion occur.
  • the applicant's theoretically ideal stability plane concept would teach that such a heel wedge orientation would require constant shoe sole thicknes ⁇ in a vertical plane perpendicular to the chosen subtalar joint axis, in ⁇ tead of the frontal plane.
  • any of the above de ⁇ cribed thick ⁇ ness variations from a theoretically ideal stability plane can be used together with any of the below described density or bottom sole design variations. All portions of the shoe sole are included in thickness and density measurement, including the sockliner or insole, the midsole (including heel lift or other thicknes ⁇ vari- ation measured in the sagittal plane) and bottom or outer sole.
  • the thickness and density varia ⁇ tions described above can be measured from the center of the essential structural support and propulsion elements defined in the '819 Patent. Those elements are the base and lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus, the head ⁇ of the metatar ⁇ als, and the base of the fifth metatarsal, and the head of the first di ⁇ tal phalange, respectively. Of the metatarsal heads, only the first and fifth metatarsal heads are used for such measurement, since only those two are located on lateral portions of the foot and thus proximate to contoured stability side ⁇ of the applicant' ⁇ ⁇ hoe sole.
  • Fig. 46 is similar to Fig. 5 in the applicant's copending U.S. Patent Application No. 07/416,478, but including the ⁇ hoe sole thicknes ⁇ variations as described in Fig. 45 above.
  • Fig. 46 shows, in frontal or trans- verse plane cross section in the heel area, a variation of the enhanced fully contoured design wherein the shoe sole begins to thicken beyond the theoretically ideal stability plane 51 at the contoured sides portion, pref ⁇ erably at least in that part of the contoured side which becomes wearer's body weight load-bearing during the full range of inver ⁇ ion and eversion, which is sideway ⁇ or lateral foot motion.
  • the right side of Fig. 46 show ⁇ roughly a 50 percent thick ⁇ ne ⁇ increa ⁇ e over the theoretically ideal ⁇ tability plane 51 and the left ⁇ ide shows roughly a 100 percent increase.
  • Fig. 47 i ⁇ ⁇ imilar to Fig. 6 of the parent '598 application, which i ⁇ Fig. 10 in the applicant's copend ⁇ ing '478 Application and show ⁇ , in frontal or tran ⁇ ver ⁇ e plane cross section in the heel area, that ⁇ imilar varia ⁇ tions in shoe midsole (other portions of the shoe sole area not shown) den ⁇ ity can provide ⁇ imilar but reduced effect ⁇ to the variation ⁇ in ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole thickne ⁇ de ⁇ cribed previously in Figs. 4 and 5.
  • the major advan- tage of this approach is that the structural theoreti ⁇ cally ideal ⁇ tability plane i ⁇ retained, so that natu ⁇ rally optimal stability and efficient motion are retained to the maximum extent possible.
  • the more extreme con- structive density variations of Fig. 47 are, a ⁇ mo ⁇ t typically mea ⁇ ured in durometer ⁇ on a Shore A ⁇ cale, to include from 26 percent to 50 percent and from 51 percent up to 200 percent.
  • the den ⁇ ity variations are located preferably at least in that part of the contoured side which becomes wearer's body weight load-bearing during the full range of inversion and eversion, which is side ⁇ ways or lateral foot motion.
  • the applicant's ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole inven ⁇ tion maintains the natural stability and natural, unin ⁇ terrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare through- out it ⁇ normal range of ⁇ ideway ⁇ pronation and supination motion occurring during all load-bearing phase ⁇ of loco ⁇ motion of the wearer, including when the wearer is ⁇ tand- ing, walking, jogging and running, even when ⁇ aid foot is tilted to the extreme limit of that normal range, in contra ⁇ t to unstable and inflexible conventional shoe soles, including the partially contoured existing art de ⁇ cribed above.
  • the ⁇ ide ⁇ of the applicant's ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole invention extend ⁇ ufficiently far up the ⁇ ides of the wearer's foot ⁇ ole to maintain the natural ⁇ tability and uninterrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare.
  • the exact material density of the shoe sole sides will be determined empirically for individuals and groups using standard biomechanical techniques of gait analysis to determine those combinations that best provide the bare ⁇ foot ⁇ tability de ⁇ cribed above.
  • the amount of any ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole ⁇ ide portion ⁇ coplanar with the theo- retically ideal ⁇ tability plane is determined by the degree of shoe sole stability desired and the shoe sole weight and bulk required to provide said stability; the amount of ⁇ aid coplanar contoured ⁇ ide ⁇ that i ⁇ provided said shoe sole being sufficient to maintain intact the firm stability of the wearer's foot throughout the range of foot inver ⁇ ion and eversion motion typical of the use for which the shoe is intended and also typical of the kind of wearer — such as normal or excessive pronator — for which said shoe i ⁇ intended.
  • the applicant' ⁇ preferred shoe sole embodiments include the structural and material flexibil ⁇ ity to deform in parallel to the natural deformation of the wearer' ⁇ foot ⁇ ole a ⁇ if it were bare and unaffected by any of the abnormal foot biomechanic ⁇ created by rigid conventional shoe sole.
  • the applicant' ⁇ preferred ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole embodiment ⁇ are sufficiently firm to provide the wearer's foot with the structural support necessary to maintain normal pronation and supination, as if the wearer's foot were bare; in contra ⁇ t, the exce ⁇ ive ⁇ oft- ness of many of the shoe ⁇ ole material ⁇ used in shoe soles in the existing art cause abnormal foot pronation and supination.
  • the applicant has previou ⁇ ly shown heel lifts with con ⁇ tant frontal or tran ⁇ verse plane thickne ⁇ , since it is ori ⁇ ented conventionally in alignment with the frontal or transverse plane and perpendicular to the long axis of the shoe sole.
  • the heel wedge or toe taper or other ⁇ hoe sole thickness variations in the sagittal plane along the long axis of the shoe sole
  • the heel wedge can be located perpendicular to the subtalar axis, which i ⁇ located in the heel area generally about 20 to 25 degree ⁇ medially, although a different angle can be used base on individual or group te ⁇ ting; such a orientation may provide better, more natural support to the subtalar joint, through which critical pronation and supination motion occur.
  • the applicant's theoretically ideal stability plane concept would teach that such a heel wedge orientation would require constant shoe ⁇ ole thickne ⁇ s in a vertical plane perpendicular to the cho ⁇ en ⁇ ubtalar joint axi ⁇ , in ⁇ tead of the frontal plane.
  • Fig. 48 i ⁇ ⁇ imilar to Fig. 7 of the parent '598 application, but with more the extreme thickne ⁇ s varia- tion similar to Fig. 45 above.
  • Fig. 48 is like Fig. 7, which is Fig. 14B of the applicant's '478 Application and ⁇ how ⁇ , in frontal or transverse plane cross section ⁇ in the heel area, embodiment ⁇ like those in Fig. 4 through 6 but wherein a portion of the shoe sole thicknes ⁇ i ⁇ decrea ⁇ ed to less than the theoretically ideal stability plane, the amount of the thicknes ⁇ variation a ⁇ defined for Fig.
  • the right side of Fig. 48 shows a thick ⁇ ness reduction of approximately 40 percent and the left side a reduction of approximately 50 percent.
  • Fig. 7 show ⁇ a embodiment like the fully contoured design in Fig. 5, but with a show sole thicknes ⁇ decrea ⁇ ing with increa ⁇ ing di ⁇ tance from the center portion of the ⁇ ole.
  • Fig. 49 i ⁇ ⁇ imilar to Fig. 8 of the parent '598 application which was Fig. 13 of the '478 Application and show ⁇ , in frontal or transverse plane cross section, a bottom ⁇ ole tread design that provide ⁇ about the ⁇ ame overall ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole den ⁇ ity variation a ⁇ that provided in Fig. 6 by midsole density variation.
  • the le ⁇ s supporting tread there is under any particular portion of the shoe sole the less effective overall shoe density there is, since the mid ⁇ ole above that portion will deform more easily than if it were fully supported.
  • Fig. 49 shows more extreme shoe sole tread design, roughly equivalent to the structural changes in shoe sole thickne ⁇ and/or den ⁇ ity de ⁇ cribed in Fig ⁇ .
  • Fig. 49 like Fig. 8 from the '478, i ⁇ illus ⁇ trative of the applicant's point that bottom sole tread patterns, just like midsole or bottom sole or inner sole density, directly affect the actual structural ⁇ upport the foot receive ⁇ from the shoe sole.
  • bottom sole tread patterns just like midsole or bottom sole or inner sole density
  • the popular "center of pressure" tread pattern which is like a backward horse ⁇ hoe attached to the heel that leave ⁇ the heel area directly under the calcaneu ⁇ un ⁇ upported by tread, so that all of the weight bearing load in the heel area is transmitted to outside edge tread ⁇ .
  • Variation ⁇ of thi ⁇ pattern are extremely common in athletic ⁇ hoes and are nearly universal in running ⁇ hoe ⁇ , of which the 1991 Nike 180 model and the Avia "cantilever" ⁇ eries are examples.
  • the Fig. 49 invention can, therefore, utilize bottom sole tread patterns like any these common example ⁇ , together or even in the ab ⁇ ence of any other ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole thickne ⁇ s or density variation, to achieve an effective thickness greater than the theoretically ideal stability plane, in order to achieve greater stability than the shoe sole would otherwi ⁇ e provide, a ⁇ di ⁇ cu ⁇ ed earlier under Fig ⁇ . 4-6.
  • ⁇ hoe bottom or outer ⁇ ole tread pattern ⁇ can be fairly irregular and/or complex and can thus make difficult the measurement of the outer load-bearing sur ⁇ face of the shoe sole. Consequently, thicknes ⁇ varia ⁇ tions in small portions of the shoe sole that will deform or compress without significant overall resi ⁇ tance under a wearer's body weight load to the thicknes ⁇ of the over ⁇ all load-bearing plane of the ⁇ hoe out ⁇ ole ⁇ hould be ignored during mea ⁇ urement, whether ⁇ uch ea ⁇ y deformation is made possible by very high point pres ⁇ ure or by the use of relatively compressible outsole (or underlying midsole) materials.
  • the applicant's shoe sole invention maintains intact the firm lateral stability of the wearer's foot, that stability as demonstrated when the foot is unshod and tilted out laterally in inversion to the extreme limit of the normal range of motion of the ankle joint of the foot.
  • the sides of the applicant's shoe sole inven ⁇ tion extend sufficiently far up the sides of the wearer's foot sole to maintain the lateral stability of the wearer's foot when bare.
  • the applicant's shoe sole inven ⁇ tion maintains the natural stability and natural, unin ⁇ terrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare through ⁇ out its normal range of sideway ⁇ pronation and supination motion occurring during all load-bearing phases of loco ⁇ motion of the wearer, including when the wearer is stand ⁇ ing, walking, jogging and running, even when the foot is tilted to the extreme limit of that normal range, in contrast to unstable and inflexible conventional shoe soles, including the partially contoured existing art described above.
  • the sides of the applicant's shoe ⁇ ole invention extend ⁇ ufficiently far up the sides of the wearer's foot sole to maintain the natural stability and uninterrupted motion of the wearer, ⁇ foot when bare.
  • Fig. 50 is ⁇ imilar to Fig. 10, which wa ⁇ new with the '598 application and which was a combination of the shoe sole structure concepts of Fig. 3 and Fig. 4; it combines the custom fit design with the contoured sides greater than the theoretically ideal stability plane. It would apply as well to the Fig 7 design with contoured side ⁇ le ⁇ than the theoretically ideal ⁇ tability plane, but that combination i ⁇ not shown. It would also apply to the Fig. 8 de ⁇ ign, which show ⁇ one of a typical bottom ⁇ ole tread de ⁇ ign ⁇ , but that combination is also not shown.
  • custom fit invention is also novel for ⁇ hoe sole struc- tures with sides that exceed the theoretically ideal stability plane: that is, a shoe sole with thickness greater in the side ⁇ than underneath the foot. It would also be novel for shoe sole structure ⁇ with sides that are less than the theoretically ideal stability plane, within the parameters defined in the '714 application. And it would be novel for a shoe sole ⁇ tructure that provide ⁇ stability like the barefoot, as described in Figs. 1 and 2 of the '714 application.
  • the appli- cant's invention is the structure of a conventional shoe sole that ha ⁇ been modified by having it ⁇ ⁇ ides bent up ⁇ o that their inner ⁇ urface conforms to a shape nearly identical but slightly smaller than the shape of the outer surface of the foot sole of the wearer (instead of the shoe sole side ⁇ conforming to the ground by parallel ⁇ ing it, as is conventional) ; this concept is like that described in Fig. 3 of the applicant's 07/239,667 appli ⁇ cation.
  • Fig. 3 of the applicant's 07/239,667 appli ⁇ cation.
  • the total shoe sole thickness of the contoured side por- tions, including every layer or portion, is much les ⁇ than the total thickne ⁇ s of the sole portion directly underneath the foot
  • the shoe ⁇ ole thickne ⁇ s of the con ⁇ toured side portions are at least similar to the thick- ness of the sole portion directly underneath the foot, meaning a thickne ⁇ variation of up to either 50 percent or 100 percent or regardless of contoured side thicknes ⁇ so long as side of some thickne ⁇ s conforms or is at least complementary to the shape of the wearer's foot sole when the shoe sole is on the wearer's foot sole, as mea ⁇ ured in frontal or tran ⁇ verse plane cros ⁇ sections.
  • the applicant's invention main- tains the natural stability and natural, uninterrupted motion of the foot when bare throughout its normal range of sideway ⁇ pronation and ⁇ upination motion occurring during all load-bearing pha ⁇ e ⁇ of locomotion of the wearer, including when said wearer is standing, walking, jogging and running, even when the foot i ⁇ tilted to the extreme limit of that normal range, in contra ⁇ t to unsta ⁇ ble and inflexible conventional shoe soles, including the partially contoured existing art described above.
  • the sides of the applicant's shoe sole invention extend suf- ficiently far up the sides of the wearer's foot sole to maintain the natural stability and uninterrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare.
  • the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole sides are sufficiently flexible to bend out ea ⁇ ily when the ⁇ hoe ⁇ are put on the wearer's feet and therefore the ⁇ hoe soles gently hold the sides of the wearer's foot sole when on, providing the equivalent of cu ⁇ tom fit in a mass-produced shoe sole.
  • the applicant's preferred shoe ⁇ ole embodiment ⁇ include the ⁇ tructural and material flexibil- ity to deform in parallel to the natural deformation of the wearer's foot ⁇ ole a ⁇ if it were bare and unaffected by any of the abnormal foot biomechanic ⁇ created by rigid conventional shoe sole.
  • the applicant's preferred shoe sole embodiments are ⁇ ufficiently firm to provide the wearer's foot with the structural support neces ⁇ ary to maintain normal pronation and supination, as if the wearer's foot were bare; in contrast, the excessive soft- ne ⁇ of many of the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole materials used in shoe sole ⁇ in the exi ⁇ ting art cau ⁇ e abnormal foot pronation and ⁇ upination.
  • the heel wedge can be located per- pendicular to the subtalar axi ⁇ , which i ⁇ located in the heel area generally about 20 to 25 degree ⁇ medially, although a different angle can be used base on individual or group testing; such a orientation may provide better, more natural support to the subtalar joint, through which critical pronation and supination motion occur.
  • the applicant' ⁇ theoretically ideal ⁇ tability plane concept would teach that ⁇ uch a heel wedge orientation would require con ⁇ tant ⁇ hoe sole thicknes ⁇ in a vertical plane perpendicular to the chosen subtalar joint axis, instead of the frontal plane.
  • the intentional undersizing of the flexible shoe sole sides allows for simplified design of shoe sole lasts, since the shoe la ⁇ t need ⁇ only to be approximate to provide a virtual cu ⁇ tom fit, due to the flexible ⁇ ides.
  • the under ⁇ sized flexible shoe sole side ⁇ allow the applicant' ⁇ Fig.
  • the dashed line 29 indicates the position of the ⁇ hoe la ⁇ t, which is as ⁇ umed to be a reasonably accurate approximation of the shape of the outer surface of the wearer's foot sole, which determines the shape of the theoretically ideal stability plane 51.
  • the dashed line ⁇ 29 and 51 ⁇ how what the po ⁇ ition ⁇ of the inner ⁇ urface 30 and outer ⁇ urface 31 of the ⁇ hoe sole would be when the shoe is put on the foot of the wearer.
  • the Fig. 50 invention provides a way make the inner surface 30 of the contoured shoe sole, especially its sides, conform very closely to the outer surface 29 of the foot sole of a wearer. It thus make ⁇ much more practical the applicant' ⁇ earlier underlying naturally contoured de ⁇ ign ⁇ shown in Figs. 4 and 5.
  • the shoe sole structure ⁇ ⁇ hown in Fig. 4 and 5, then, are ⁇ imilar to what the Fig.
  • shoe sole structure would be when on the wearer's load-bearing foot, where the inner surface 30 of the shoe upper is bent out to virtually coincide with the outer surface of the foot sole of the wearer 29 (the figures in this and prior applications show one line to emphasize the conceptual coincidence of what in fact are two lines; in real world embodiments, some divergence of the surface, especially under load and during locomotion would be unavoidable) .
  • the sides of the shoe ⁇ ole ⁇ tructure described under Fig. 50 can also be used to form a slightly le ⁇ optimal ⁇ tructure: a conventional shoe sole that ha ⁇ been modified by having it ⁇ ⁇ ide ⁇ bent up so that their inner surface conform ⁇ to shape nearly identical but slightly larger than the shape of the outer ⁇ urface of the foot sole of the wearer, instead of the shoe sole sides being flat on the ground, as is conventional.
  • a slightly le ⁇ optimal ⁇ tructure a conventional shoe sole that ha ⁇ been modified by having it ⁇ ⁇ ide ⁇ bent up so that their inner surface conform ⁇ to shape nearly identical but slightly larger than the shape of the outer ⁇ urface of the foot sole of the wearer, instead of the shoe sole sides being flat on the ground, as is conventional.
  • the closer the ⁇ ide ⁇ are to the shape of the wearer's foot sole the better a ⁇ a general rule, but any side position between flat on the ground and conforming like Fig.
  • the critical functional feature of a shoe sole is that it deforms under a weight-bearing load to conform to the foot sole just as the foot sole deforms to conform to the ground under a weight-bearing load. So, even though the foot sole and the shoe sole may start in different loca ⁇ tions — the shoe sole sides can even be conventionally flat on the ground — the critical functional feature of both is that they both conform under load to parallel the shape of the ground, which conventional shoe ⁇ do not, except when exactly upright.
  • the appli ⁇ cant's shoe sole invention includes any shoe sole — whether conforming to the wearer's foot sole or to the ground or ⁇ ome intermediate position, including a ⁇ hape much ⁇ maller than the wearer's foot sole — that deform ⁇ to conform to a shape at least simi ⁇ lar to the theoretically ideal stability plane, which by definition itself deforms in parallel with the deforma ⁇ tion of the wearer's foot sole under weight-bearing load.
  • the density variation pattern shown in Fig. 2 can be combined with the type shown in Fig. 11 or Fig. 51.
  • the density pattern can be constant in all cros ⁇ ⁇ ections taken along the long the long axis of the shoe ⁇ ole or the pattern can vary.
  • the applicant' ⁇ Fig. 51 ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole invention aintain ⁇ intact the firm lateral stability of the wearer's foot, that ⁇ tability as demonstrated when the wearer's foot is unshod and tilted out laterally in inversion to the extreme limit of the normal range of motion of the ankle joint of the foot; in a similar dem- on ⁇ tration in a conventional ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole, the wearer's foot and ankle are unstable.
  • the side ⁇ of the applicant' ⁇ shoe sole invention extend sufficiently far up the sides of the wearer's foot sole to maintain the lateral stabil ⁇ ity of the wearer' ⁇ foot when bare.
  • the applicant' ⁇ invention main ⁇ tain ⁇ the natural ⁇ tability and natural, uninterrupted motion of the foot when bare throughout it ⁇ normal range of ⁇ ideways pronation and supination motion occurring during all load-bearing phases of locomotion of the wearer, including when said wearer is standing, walking, jogging and running, even when the foot is tilted to the extreme limit of that normal range, in contrast to unstable and inflexible conventional shoe soles, includ ⁇ ing the partially contoured existing art described above.
  • the sides of the applicant's ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole invention extend sufficiently far up the sides of the wearer's foot sole to maintain the natural stability and uninterrupted motion of the wearer's foot when bare.
  • the exact mate ⁇ rial density of the shoe sole sides will be determined empirically for individuals and groups using standard biomechanical techniques of gait analysis to determine those combinations that best provide the barefoot stabil ⁇ ity described above.
  • the amount of any shoe sole side portions coplanar with the theo ⁇ retically ideal stability plane is determined by the degree of shoe ⁇ ole ⁇ tability de ⁇ ired and the shoe sole weight and bulk required to provide said stability; the amount of said coplanar contoured side ⁇ that is provided said shoe sole being sufficient to maintain intact the firm stability of the wearer's foot throughout the range of foot inversion and eversion motion typical of the use for which the shoe is intended and also typical of the kind of wearer — such as normal or as excessive pronator — for which said ⁇ hoe is intended.
  • the shoe ⁇ ole ⁇ ide ⁇ are ⁇ ufficiently flexible to bend out easily when the shoes are put on the wearer's feet and therefore the shoe soles gently hold the side ⁇ of the wearer' ⁇ foot ⁇ ole when on, providing the equivalent of cu ⁇ tom fit in a mass-produced shoe sole.
  • the applicant's preferred shoe sole embodiments include the structural and material flexibil ⁇ ity to deform in parallel to the natural deformation of the wearer's foot sole as if it were bare and unaffected by any of the abnormal foot biomechanics created by rigid conventional shoe sole.
  • the applicant's preferred shoe sole embodiments are sufficiently firm to provide the wearer's foot with the ⁇ tructural ⁇ upport nece ⁇ ary to maintain normal pronation and ⁇ upination, a ⁇ if the wearer's foot were bare; in contrast, the excessive soft ⁇ ness of many of the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole material ⁇ used in shoe soles in the existing art cause abnormal foot pronation and supination.
  • the applicant has previously shown heel lift with constant frontal or transver ⁇ e plane thickness, since it is oriented conventionally in alignment with the frontal or transverse plane and perpendicular to the long axis of the shoe ⁇ ole.
  • the heel wedge or toe taper or other ⁇ hoe sole thicknes ⁇ variations in the sagittal plane along the long axis of the ⁇ hoe sole
  • the heel wedge can be located perpendicular to the subtalar axis, which is located in the heel area generally about 20 to 25 degrees medially, although a different angle can be used base on individual or group testing; such a orientation may provide better, more natural ⁇ upport to the subtalar joint, through which critical pronation and supination motion occur.
  • the applicant' ⁇ theoretically ideal ⁇ tability plane concept would teach that ⁇ uch a heel wedge orientation would require con ⁇ tant ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole thickne ⁇ in a vertical plane perpendicular to the cho ⁇ en ⁇ ubtalar joint axi ⁇ , in ⁇ tead of the frontal plane.
  • a flexible under ⁇ ized version of the fully contoured design described in Fig. 51 can also be pro ⁇ vided by a similar geometric approximation.
  • the undersized flexible shoe ⁇ ole ⁇ ide ⁇ allow the appli- cant's shoe sole inventions based on the theoretically ideal stability plane to be manufactured in relatively standard sizes in the same manner as are shoe uppers, since the flexible shoe sole sides can be built on stan ⁇ dard shoe last ⁇ , even though conceptually those side ⁇ conform clo ⁇ ely to the ⁇ pecific ⁇ hape of the individual wearer's foot sole, because the flexible side ⁇ bend to conform when on the wearer's foot sole.
  • Fig. 51 shows the shoe sole structure when not on the foot of the wearer;
  • the dashed line 29 indicates the position of the ⁇ hoe la ⁇ t, which is assumed to be a reasonably accurate approximation of the shape of the outer ⁇ urface of the wearer's foot sole, which determines the shape of the theoretically ideal stability plane 51.
  • the dashed lines 29 and 51 show what the positions of the inner surface 30 and outer surface 31 of the shoe sole would be when the shoe i ⁇ put on the foot of the wearer.
  • the Fig. 51 invention provides a way make the inner surface 30 of the contoured shoe sole, especially its sides, conform very closely to the outer ⁇ urface 29 of the foot sole of a wearer. It thus makes much more practical the applicant's earlier underlying naturally contoured design ⁇ shown in Fig. 1A-C and Fig. 6.
  • the shoe sole structure shown in Fig. 51, then, is what the Fig.
  • 11 shoe sole structure would be when on the wearer's foot, where the inner surface 30 of the shoe upper is bent out to virtually coincide with the outer surface of the foot sole of the wearer 29 (the figures in this and prior application ⁇ ⁇ how one line to empha ⁇ ize the concep ⁇ tual coincidence of what in fact are two lines; in real world embodiments, some divergence of the surface, e ⁇ pe ⁇ cially under load and during locomotion would be unavoid- able) .
  • the sides of the shoe sole structure described under Fig. 51 can also be used to form a slightly les ⁇ optimal ⁇ tructure: a conventional ⁇ hoe sole that has been modified by having its side ⁇ bent up so that their inner surface conforms to shape nearly identical but slightly larger than the shape of the outer surface of the foot sole of the wearer, instead of the shoe sole sides being flat on the ground, as is conventional.
  • a conventional ⁇ hoe sole that has been modified by having its side ⁇ bent up so that their inner surface conforms to shape nearly identical but slightly larger than the shape of the outer surface of the foot sole of the wearer, instead of the shoe sole sides being flat on the ground, as is conventional.
  • the closer the sides are to the shape of the wearer's foot sole the better as a general rule, but any side position between flat on the ground and conforming like Fig. 11 to a shape slightly smaller than the wearer's shape is both possible and more effective than conventional flat shoe sole sides.
  • the shape of the flexible shoe upper ⁇ which can even be made with very ela ⁇ tic material ⁇ ⁇ uch a ⁇ lycra and spandex, can provide the capability for the shoe, including the shoe sole, to conform to the ⁇ hape of the foot.
  • the critical functional feature of a shoe sole is that it deforms under a weight-bearing load to conform to the foot sole just a ⁇ the foot ⁇ ole deform ⁇ to conform to the ground under a weight-bearing load. So, even though the foot ⁇ ole and the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole may ⁇ tart in different loca ⁇ tion ⁇ — the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole ⁇ ide ⁇ can even be conventionally flat on the ground — the critical functional feature of both is that they both conform under load to parallel the shape of the ground, which conventional shoes do not, except when exactly upright.
  • the appli- cant's shoe sole invention includes any shoe sole — whether conforming to the wearer's foot sole or to the ground or some intermediate position, including a shape much smaller than the wearer's foot sole — that deforms to conform to the theoretically ideal stability plane, which by definition itself deforms in parallel with the deformation of the wearer's foot sole under weight-bearing load.
  • the position of the shoe sole side ⁇ before the wearer put ⁇ on the shoe is less important, since the ⁇ ides will easily conform to the shape of the wearer's foot when the shoe is put on that foot.
  • ⁇ ince the flexible ⁇ ide ⁇ could bend out ea ⁇ ily a con ⁇ iderable relative di ⁇ tance and still conform to the wearer's foot sole when on the wearer's foot.
  • the applicant's shoe sole inventions described in Figs. 4, 10, 11 and 51 all attempt to provide struc ⁇ tural compensation for actual structural change ⁇ in the feet of wearer ⁇ that have occurred from a lifetime of u ⁇ e of exi ⁇ ting ⁇ hoe ⁇ , which have a major flaw that ha ⁇ been identified and described earlier by the applicant.
  • the biomechanical motion of even the wearer's bare feet have been degraded from what they would be if the wearer's feet had not been structurally changed. Consequently, the ultimate design goal of the applicant's inventions is to provide un-degraded barefoot motion.
  • the ultimate goal of the applicant's invention i ⁇ to provide ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole ⁇ tructure ⁇ that maintain the natural ⁇ tability and natural, uninterrupted motion of the foot when bare throughout it ⁇ normal range of ⁇ ide- way ⁇ pronation and ⁇ upination motion occurring during all load-bearing pha ⁇ e ⁇ of locomotion of a wearer who has never been shod in conventional shoes, including when said wearer is standing, walking, jogging and running, even when the foot i ⁇ tilted to the extreme limit of that normal range, in contra ⁇ t to un ⁇ table and inflexible con ⁇ ventional shoe sole ⁇ .
  • Fig. 51 like Fig. 47, increases constructive density variations, as most typically measured in duro- meter ⁇ on a Shore A scale, to include 26 percent up to 50 percent and from 51 percent to 200 percent.
  • the same variations in shoe bottom sole design can provide similar effect ⁇ to the variation in ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole den ⁇ ity described above.
  • any of the above described thick ⁇ ness variations from a theoretically ideal stability plane can be used together with any of the above - 128 -
  • Fig. 51 show such a combination; for illustration purpose ⁇ , it shows a thicknes ⁇ increase greater than the theoretically ideal stability plane on the right side and a les ⁇ er thickne ⁇ on the left side — both sides illustrate the density variations de ⁇ cribed above. All portion ⁇ of the shoe sole are included in thickness and density measure ⁇ ment, including the sockliner or insole, the midsole (including heel lift or other thickness variation mea- sured in the sagittal plane) and bottom or outer ⁇ ole.
  • Fig. 51 invention and the Fig. 11 invention can be combined with the invention shown in Fig. 12 of the '870 application, which can also be com ⁇ bined with the other figures of this application, a ⁇ can Fig. 9A-9D of the '870 application.
  • Any of the ⁇ e figure ⁇ can al ⁇ o be combined alone or together with Fig. 9 of thi ⁇ application, which i ⁇ Fig. 9 of the '302 application or Fig. 10 of that application, or with Fig ⁇ . 11-15, 19- 28, 30, and 33A-33M of the '523 application, or with Figs.7-9 of the '313 application, or Fig. 8 of the '748 application, with or without stability sipe 11.
  • the thicknes ⁇ and den ⁇ ity varia ⁇ tion ⁇ described above can be measured from the center of the essential structural support and propulsion elements defined in the '819 Patent. Those elements are the ba ⁇ e and lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus, the heads of the metatarsals, and the base of the fifth metatarsal, and the head of the first distal phalange, respectively. Of the metatarsal head ⁇ , only the fir ⁇ t and fifth metatar ⁇ al heads are used for such measurement, since only those two are located on lateral portions of the foot and thus proximate to contoured stability sides of the applicant's shoe sole.
  • Fig. 52A-B is new with this continuation-in- part application; it broadens the definition of the theo ⁇ retically ideal stability plane, as defined in the '786 and all prior applications filed by the applicant.
  • the '819 Patent and ⁇ ub ⁇ equent applications have defined the inner surface of the theoretically ideal ⁇ tability plane •as conforming to the shape of the wearer's foot, espe ⁇ cially its sides, so that the inner surface of the appli ⁇ cant's shoe sole invention conforms to the outer surface of the wearer's foot sole, especially it ⁇ ide ⁇ , when mea ⁇ ured in frontal plane or transverse plane cros ⁇ sec ⁇ tions.
  • the right side of Fig. 52 explicitly includes an upper shoe sole surface that is complementary to the shape of all or a portion the wearer's foot sole.
  • this application describes shoe contoured sole ⁇ ide de ⁇ igns wherein the inner surface of the theoretically ideal ⁇ tability plane lies at some point between conforming or complementary to the shape of the wearer's foot sole, that is — roughly paralleling the foot sole including its side — and par ⁇ alleling the flat ground; that inner surface of theo ⁇ retically ideal stability plane becomes load-bearing in contact with the foot sole during foot inversion and eversion, which is normal sideways or lateral motion.
  • the left ⁇ ide of Fig. 52B describes shoe sole side de ⁇ ign ⁇ wherein the lower ⁇ urface of the theoretically ideal stability plane, which equates to the load-bearing surface of the bottom or outer shoe sole, of the shoe sole side portions is above the plane of the underneath portion of the shoe sole, when measured in frontal or transver ⁇ e plane cro ⁇ sections; that lower surface of the theoretically ideal stability plane becomes load-bearing in contact with the ground during foot inversion and eversion, which is nor ⁇ mal sideway ⁇ or lateral motion.
  • Fig. 53 i ⁇ new in this continuation-in-part application and provides a means to measure the contoured ⁇ hoe sole side ⁇ incorporated in the applicant' ⁇ inven ⁇ tion ⁇ de ⁇ cribed above.
  • Fig. 53 is Fig.
  • Figs. 54A-54F, Fig.55A-E, and Fig. 56 are new to this continuation-in-part application and describe ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole ⁇ tructural inventions that are formed with an upper surface to conform, or at lea ⁇ t be complementary, to the all or mo ⁇ t or at lea ⁇ t part of the ⁇ hape of the wearer' ⁇ foot ⁇ ole, whether under a body weight load or unloaded, but without contoured stability side ⁇ a ⁇ defined by the applicant.
  • Figs. 54-56 are simi ⁇ lar to Figs. 19-21 of the '819 Patent, but without the contoured ⁇ tability sides 28a defined in Fig. 4 of the '819 Patent and with shoe sole contoured side thickness variations, as measured in frontal or transverse plane cross sections as defined in this and earlier applica ⁇ tions.
  • Those contoured side thicknes ⁇ variation ⁇ from the theoretically ideal stability plane are uniform thickness, variations of 5 to 10 percent, variations of 11 to 25 percent, variations of 26 to 40 percent and 41 to 50 for thickne ⁇ e ⁇ decreasing from the theoretically ideal stability plane, thicknes ⁇ variations of 26 to 50 percent and 51 percent to 100 percent for thickness variations increasing from the theoretically ideal stability plane.
  • Fig ⁇ . 54A-54F, Fig.55A-E, and Fig. 56 like the many other variation ⁇ of the applicant' ⁇ naturally con ⁇ toured design described in this and earlier applications, shown a ⁇ hoe sole invention wherein both the upper, foot sole-contacting surface of the shoe sole and the bottom, ground-contacting ⁇ urface of the ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole mirror the contour ⁇ of the bottom surface of the wearer's foot ⁇ ole, forming in effect a flexible three dimensional mirror of the load-bearing portions of that foot sole when bare.
  • the shoe sole ⁇ hown in Fig ⁇ .
  • Fig. 57A-57C is similar to Fig. 34A-34C, which show, in cros ⁇ ⁇ ection ⁇ ⁇ imilar to tho ⁇ e in pending U.S. Patent '349, that with the quadrant- ⁇ ided de ⁇ ign of Fig ⁇ .
  • Fig. 57A-C shows the same range of thickness variation in contoured shoe side as Fig. 45 and u ⁇ ed to ⁇ how simultaneously the general case for both extreme increases and extreme decrease ⁇ .
  • the quadrant de ⁇ ign determine ⁇ the shape of the load-bearing portion of outer surface of the bottom or outer sole, which is coincident with the theoretically ideal stability plane; the finishing edge 53 or 53a is optional, not a mandatory part of the invention.
  • a corrected shoe sole design avoids such unnatural interference by neutrally maintaining a constant distance between foot and ground, even when the shoe is tilted sideways, as if in effect the shoe sole were not there except to cushion and protect.
  • the corrected ⁇ hoe would move with the foot' ⁇ natural ⁇ ideways pronation and supination motion on the ground.
  • there are two po ⁇ sible geometric solution ⁇ depending upon whether just the lower horizontal plane of the shoe sole surface varies to achieve natural contour or both upper and lower surface planes vary.
  • both upper and lower surface ⁇ or planes of the shoe ⁇ ole vary to conform to the natural contour of the human foot.
  • the two plane ⁇ olution i ⁇ the mo ⁇ t fundamental concept and naturally mo ⁇ t effective. It is the only pure geo ⁇ metric solution to the mathematical problem of maintain ⁇ ing constant distance between foot and ground, and the most optimal, in the same sense that round is only ⁇ hape for a wheel and perfectly round is mo ⁇ t optimal. On the other hand, it i ⁇ the least similar to existing designs of the two possible solution ⁇ and require ⁇ computer aided design and injection molding manufacturing techniques.
  • the quadrant contour side design which will be de ⁇ cribed in Figure ⁇ 29-37, the side contours are formed by varia ⁇ tions in the bottom surface alone.
  • the upper surface or plane of the shoe sole remains unvaryingly flat in fron- tai plane cros ⁇ sections, like most existing shoes, while the plane of the bottom shoe sole varies on the sides to provide a contour that preserve ⁇ natural foot and ankle biomechanic ⁇ .
  • the one plane quadrant contour side design is still the only optimal single plane solution to the prob ⁇ lem of avoiding disruption of natural human biomechanics.
  • the one plane solution is the close ⁇ t to exi ⁇ ting shoe sole design, and therefore the easiest and cheapest to manufacture with existing equipment.
  • the one plane quad ⁇ rant contour side design is preferable for dress or street ⁇ hoe ⁇ and for light exercise, like casual walking.
  • 57A-C also ⁇ how ⁇ the special case of the radius of an intermediate shoe sole thickness, taken at (S 2 ) at the base of the fifth metatarsal in Fig. 34B, is maintained constant throughout the quadrant side ⁇ of the shoe sole, including both the heel, Fig. 34C, and the forefoot, Fig. 34A, so that the side thicknes ⁇ is les ⁇ than the theoretically ideal stability plane at the heel and more at the forefoot. Though possible, this is not a preferred approach.
  • Fig. 58 is based on Fig. IB but also show ⁇ , for purpo ⁇ e ⁇ of illu ⁇ tration, on the right ⁇ ide of Fig. 58 a relative thickne ⁇ increa ⁇ e of the contoured shoe sole side for that portion of the contoured shoe sole side beyond the limit of the full range of normal sideways foot inversion and eversion motion, while uniform thick ⁇ nes ⁇ exi ⁇ t ⁇ for the load-bearing portions of the con ⁇ toured shoe sole ⁇ ide.
  • the same relative thicknes ⁇ increa ⁇ e of the contoured ⁇ hoe ⁇ ole side could exist for that portion of the contoured shoe sole side beyond the limit of the full range of foot inversion and eversion, relatively more uniform or smaller thicknes ⁇ variation ⁇ exi ⁇ t ⁇ for the load-bearing portion ⁇ of the contoured ⁇ hoe sole side; this design could apply to Fig. 4, 5, 8, 45, 46, and 49 and other ⁇ .
  • the left ⁇ ide of Fig. 58 ⁇ how ⁇ a den ⁇ ity increa ⁇ e u ⁇ ed for the ⁇ ame purpose as the thicknes ⁇ increase.
  • the same design can be u ⁇ ed for embodi ⁇ ment ⁇ with decreasing thicknes ⁇ variations, like Fig. 7 and Fig. 48.
  • That normal range of foot inversion or ever ⁇ sion, and its corresponding limits of load-bearing outer or bottom sole surface 211, noted above and el ⁇ ewhere in thi ⁇ application can be determined either by individual mea ⁇ urement by mean ⁇ known in the art or by u ⁇ ing general exi ⁇ ting range ⁇ or range ⁇ developed by ⁇ tati ⁇ tically meaningful ⁇ tudies, including using new, more dynamically based testing procedures; such ranges may also include a extra margin for error to protect the individual wearer.

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  • Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)

Abstract

On décrit une semelle (28) de chaussure qui est complémentaire de la forme de la plante du pied du porteur de cette chaussure.
PCT/US1996/010223 1995-06-07 1996-06-07 Structures de semelle de chaussure WO1997000029A1 (fr)

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US47297995A 1995-06-07 1995-06-07
US472,979 1995-06-07

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Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5893221A (en) * 1997-10-16 1999-04-13 Forest Footwear L.L.C. Footwear having a protuberance
US7010869B1 (en) 1999-04-26 2006-03-14 Frampton E. Ellis, III Shoe sole orthotic structures and computer controlled compartments
US7334350B2 (en) 1999-03-16 2008-02-26 Anatomic Research, Inc Removable rounded midsole structures and chambers with computer processor-controlled variable pressure
US7707742B2 (en) 1999-04-26 2010-05-04 Ellis Iii Frampton E Shoe sole orthotic structures and computer controlled compartments
US8873914B2 (en) 2004-11-22 2014-10-28 Frampton E. Ellis Footwear sole sections including bladders with internal flexibility sipes therebetween and an attachment between sipe surfaces
US9568946B2 (en) 2007-11-21 2017-02-14 Frampton E. Ellis Microchip with faraday cages and internal flexibility sipes

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US3806974A (en) * 1972-01-10 1974-04-30 Paolo A Di Process of making footwear
US3958291A (en) * 1974-10-18 1976-05-25 Spier Martin I Outer shell construction for boot and method of forming same
US4145785A (en) * 1977-07-01 1979-03-27 Usm Corporation Method and apparatus for attaching soles having portions projecting heightwise
US4161828A (en) * 1975-06-09 1979-07-24 Puma-Sportschuhfabriken Rudolf Dassler Kg Outer sole for shoe especially sport shoes as well as shoes provided with such outer sole
US4399620A (en) * 1980-10-01 1983-08-23 Herbert Funck Padded sole having orthopaedic properties
US4715133A (en) * 1985-06-18 1987-12-29 Rudolf Hartjes Golf shoe

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3806974A (en) * 1972-01-10 1974-04-30 Paolo A Di Process of making footwear
US3958291A (en) * 1974-10-18 1976-05-25 Spier Martin I Outer shell construction for boot and method of forming same
US4161828A (en) * 1975-06-09 1979-07-24 Puma-Sportschuhfabriken Rudolf Dassler Kg Outer sole for shoe especially sport shoes as well as shoes provided with such outer sole
US4145785A (en) * 1977-07-01 1979-03-27 Usm Corporation Method and apparatus for attaching soles having portions projecting heightwise
US4399620A (en) * 1980-10-01 1983-08-23 Herbert Funck Padded sole having orthopaedic properties
US4715133A (en) * 1985-06-18 1987-12-29 Rudolf Hartjes Golf shoe

Cited By (25)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5893221A (en) * 1997-10-16 1999-04-13 Forest Footwear L.L.C. Footwear having a protuberance
US8291614B2 (en) 1999-03-16 2012-10-23 Anatomic Research, Inc. Removable rounded midsole structures and chambers with computer processor-controlled variable pressure
US7334350B2 (en) 1999-03-16 2008-02-26 Anatomic Research, Inc Removable rounded midsole structures and chambers with computer processor-controlled variable pressure
US7562468B2 (en) 1999-03-16 2009-07-21 Anatomic Research, Inc Removable rounded midsole structures and chambers with computer processor-controlled variable pressure
US10016015B2 (en) 1999-03-16 2018-07-10 Anatomic Research, Inc. Footwear soles with computer controlled configurable structures
US8656607B2 (en) 1999-03-16 2014-02-25 Anatomic Research, Inc. Soles for shoes or other footwear having compartments with computer processor-controlled variable pressure
US9398787B2 (en) 1999-03-16 2016-07-26 Frampton E. Ellis, III Removable rounded midsole structures and chambers with computer processor-controlled variable pressure
US8261468B2 (en) 1999-04-26 2012-09-11 Frampton E. Ellis Shoe sole orthotic structures and computer controlled compartments
US7793429B2 (en) 1999-04-26 2010-09-14 Ellis Iii Frampton E Shoe sole orthotic structures and computer controlled compartments
US8667709B2 (en) 1999-04-26 2014-03-11 Frampton E. Ellis Shoe sole orthotic structures and computer controlled compartments
US7707742B2 (en) 1999-04-26 2010-05-04 Ellis Iii Frampton E Shoe sole orthotic structures and computer controlled compartments
US9414641B2 (en) 1999-04-26 2016-08-16 Frampton E. Ellis Shoe sole orthotic structures and computer controlled compartments
US7010869B1 (en) 1999-04-26 2006-03-14 Frampton E. Ellis, III Shoe sole orthotic structures and computer controlled compartments
US8959804B2 (en) 2004-11-22 2015-02-24 Frampton E. Ellis Footwear sole sections including bladders with internal flexibility sipes therebetween and an attachment between sipe surfaces
US9271538B2 (en) 2004-11-22 2016-03-01 Frampton E. Ellis Microprocessor control of magnetorheological liquid in footwear with bladders and internal flexibility sipes
US9339074B2 (en) 2004-11-22 2016-05-17 Frampton E. Ellis Microprocessor control of bladders in footwear soles with internal flexibility sipes
US9107475B2 (en) 2004-11-22 2015-08-18 Frampton E. Ellis Microprocessor control of bladders in footwear soles with internal flexibility sipes
US8925117B2 (en) 2004-11-22 2015-01-06 Frampton E. Ellis Clothing and apparel with internal flexibility sipes and at least one attachment between surfaces defining a sipe
US9642411B2 (en) 2004-11-22 2017-05-09 Frampton E. Ellis Surgically implantable device enclosed in two bladders configured to slide relative to each other and including a faraday cage
US9681696B2 (en) 2004-11-22 2017-06-20 Frampton E. Ellis Helmet and/or a helmet liner including an electronic control system controlling the flow resistance of a magnetorheological liquid in compartments
US8873914B2 (en) 2004-11-22 2014-10-28 Frampton E. Ellis Footwear sole sections including bladders with internal flexibility sipes therebetween and an attachment between sipe surfaces
US10021938B2 (en) 2004-11-22 2018-07-17 Frampton E. Ellis Furniture with internal flexibility sipes, including chairs and beds
US11039658B2 (en) 2004-11-22 2021-06-22 Frampton E. Ellis Structural elements or support elements with internal flexibility sipes
US11503876B2 (en) 2004-11-22 2022-11-22 Frampton E. Ellis Footwear or orthotic sole with microprocessor control of a bladder with magnetorheological fluid
US9568946B2 (en) 2007-11-21 2017-02-14 Frampton E. Ellis Microchip with faraday cages and internal flexibility sipes

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